Kindred Spirits Part II
by Koros45
Summary: A hero from the present once again collides with one from the past as an ancient evil re-awakens.
1. Prologue

Koros45 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

Kindred Spirits Part II: Collision

Prologue

It was unexpected. As his weaker half surrendered the duel to the Pharaoh, Marik expected some sort of release before he was cast into the void: the separation of his essence from the weakling's body to have some feeling to it, but there was only his rage. He had come so close.

He screamed in rage at his loss for what seemed like an eternity. That's when the atmosphere hit him, a dark, musty presence filled the air, and he was shocked to find that he didn't need to breathe. The area around him was miles of bare, flat rock. He glanced up and saw a dark sky above him, a solid grayish purple. There seemed to be no reason for there to be enough light to see, but there was.

Marik took a step forward, testing this new place. The land was unforgiving, and the single step was tiring. He heard faint voices, deep and many. They seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. It would be maddening to someone else, but Marik dismissed them. He turned and surveyed the land around him. There was some dark shape in the distance, and Marik couldn't tell what it was. He started out towards it and kept walking.

Gradually the shape got larger, and Marik could make out some sort of structure. The voices intensified as he got closer. There were purple lines of color on the ground now, weaving and twisting into strange pictures. It was an ancient language; one he didn't understand.

The structure was close now, a solid gray arch, covered in the ancient text. There was a staircase behind it, going down into the earth. The voices grew to a louder pitch, inviting him to descend into the unknown. Marik was unnerved by the feeling of powerlessness that now went through his body, but he knew that if someone was out there, it was someone Marik could manipulate. The thoughts of harming his hosts entertained him as he descended the staircase. The thoughts left him when he saw who his hosts were.

There were eight figures in all, in the huge cavern he entered. The first seven were easy to see, bright lines of color travelled over their gray hides, revealing what looked like a spider, a monkey, a lizard, two birds, a whale, and a giant hulking figure. Each creature's lines were different colors, and Marik sensed a chaotic darkness coming from them, one several times greater than even his own. In fact, the entire atmosphere seemed to originate from these seven beings.

The eighth was in the shadows, deep in the back of the cavern. All Marik could distinguish were two bright red eyes that belonged to a gigantic creature.

It was indeed unexpected, but it was all Marik could want. It was proof that everything his father taught him and everything that the Pharaoh stood for was a lie. For once in his existence, Marik didn't mind being powerless. It meant that regaining his power would be all the more rewarding. Amidst the dark center of the netherworld, Marik was content.


	2. Chapter One: Worn Bonds

Koros45 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. With that in mind, enjoy.

Kindred Spirits Part II: Collision

Chapter One: Worn Bonds! Battle of the Rivals!

The throttle was clenched, the gas pedal was pressed, and the red D-Wheel shot out of the darkness and into the sunny duel stadium. The rider stopped on the starting line and turned to the rider in white next to him.

"Best of luck."

The tall rider smiled. "And since when have I needed luck, Yusei?"

The stage was set. With the count of three both D-Wheels shot off down the track, the red bike overshooting the circular white one.

The announcer screamed to the audience as Yusei drew his first card. "Ah! Yusei passed Jack, so the first turn goes to him!"

Yusei SPC: 0 Jack SPC: 0

Yusei LP: 4000 Jack LP: 4000

Yusei Hand: 6 Jack Hand: 5

Surveying his hand, the man made his move. Two cards were set the spell and trap zone, while a defensive monster was played in the zone ahead of them.

Jack accelerated his unique bike; a seat in the middle of a giant, singular wheel, with a pointed front and two massive engines in the back. The man drew a card as he began his turn.

Yusei SPC: 1 Jack SPC: 1

Yusei LP: 4000 Jack LP: 4000

Yusei hand: 3 Jack hand: 6

"Since the opponent controls monsters and I control none, I can special summon Gear Changer from my hand."

A blue portal appeared next to Jack's D-Wheel, and a mass of gears on an axle appeared beside of him. (4/1500/700)

"_So that's why you wanted me to go first. You wanted the special summon."_

"Next, I'll normal summon Top Runner!"

A sleek white humanoid robot leapt out of another portal as it began to run alongside the D-wheel. (4/1100/800)

"Next, I'll turn my two monsters with one another!

Top runner and Gear Changer flew into the skies as Jack began to chant.

"**The King's determination is conceived with a crimson blade ablaze fires of red!**"

Top Runner's body separated into four green rings that Gear Changer flew through.

"**Appear from beyond the burning heat waves!**"

Gear changer's body faded into four stars that aligned with the four rings.

"**Synchro Summon!** The Burning Fierce God, Crimson Blader!"

With a pulse of green, the rings and stars were gone. In their place was a large new monster. Armed with two broadswords and clad in red armor and a blue cowl, the man's monster roared as it descended to the field.

(8/2800/2600)

The audience roared in reaction to the man's summon as the announcer spoke.

"Oh my! Duel King, Jack Atlus has summoned a level eight Synchro Monster on the first turn! How will Yusei handle this situation?"

The man in the red D-Wheel glanced at the large monster on the other player's field before smiling.

Jack raised his free arm to his monster.

"We battle! Crimson Blader will attack your monster! Red Burner!"

The monster's swords glowed with red light as it slammed them both down on the other man's monster. There was an explosion as both blades connected to the set card. Four blocky arms emerged and shoved the swordsman back to Jack's field.

Yusei's hidden monster emerged; a squat bulky creature made of blue stone, holding what looked like a heli-pad in its four arms.

(2/600/1200)

"Oh my! Yusei's monster was able to repel the attack!"

"So, it seems your monster was able to stop my strategy. But let's see just how long it lasts. I set two cards face down and end my turn!"

Yusei SPC: 2 Jack SPC: 2

Yusei LP: 4000 Jack LP: 4000

Yusei hand: 4 Jack hand: 2

"When I have two or more Speed Counters I can activate the Speed Spell-Angel Baton! I'll draw two new cards and then I'll send one card from my hand to the graveyard!"

Yusei drew the new cards, increasing his hand to five cards, before he discarded one of them.

"I'll discard Level Eater as a cost for Angel Baton."

Then he reached for another card.

"I'll normal summon the tuner monster, Junk Synchron!"

An orange robot appeared, squat in build, and wearing a scarf and goggles.

(3/1300/500)

"Junk Synchron's monster effect! I can revive a level two or lower monster from my graveyard, such as Level Eater!"

With a yank of the ripcord on its stomach, Junk Synchron opened a blue portal adjacent to it, summoning a small red and black ladybug from it.

(1/600/0)

"Now, I'll tune my Junk Synchron with my Fortress Warrior!"

Both duelists sped around the corner of the track as both monsters flew into the sky.

"_Clustering stars will call upon a new force!_"

Junk Synchron split into three green rings that bisected the body of Fortress Warrior.

"_Become the path its light shines upon!_"

The body of Fortress Warrior turned transparent as the stars comprising of its monster levels were revealed.

"_Synchro Summon!_Show yourself, Junk Warrior!"

Like earlier, a blast of green pierced the sky as a large monster descended upon the field. It had purple armor with golden trim, two small red lenses for eyes, and a scarf similar to that of Junk Synchron.

(5/2300/1300)

"I'll activate Junk Warrior's monster effect! Power of Fellows!"

Junk Warrior began to glow as it absorbed energy from the Level Eater next to it.

(2300 + 600 = 2900)

"Furthermore, I'll use the trap card Synchro Spirits to give Junk Warrior five-hundred attack points for every monster I used to summon it. Since I used two monsters, Junk Warrior gains one thousand attack points for the turn!"

(2900 + 1000 = 3900)

"Battle! Junk Warrior, attack his Crimson Blader! Scrap Fist!"

Two thrusters on Junk Warrior's back ignited as the monster rocketed off at Crimson Blader. Gaining speed, the warrior drew back a huge right fist as Crimson Blader leapt to meet the enemy monster.

Junk Warrior's fist slammed into the warrior, knocking it back and causing it to shatter.

Jack LP: 4000 – 1100 = 2900

Jack SPC: 2 – 1 = 1

Jack growled as his bike slowed, allowing Yusei to drive ahead.

Yusei glanced at Jack's field on the screen of his D-Wheel.

_"Why didn't he activate his traps in response?"_

"At the end phase, Junk Warrior's attack points return to 2900."

"Then it's my turn!"

Jack accelerated as he drew, bringing his hand up to three cards.

Yusei SPC: 3 Jack SPC: 2

Yusei LP: 4000 Jack LP: 2900

Yusei hand: 3 Jack hand: 3

"I'll first use the trap card, Descending Lost Star to revive the defeated Crimson Blader."

With a low groan, the red armored monster appeared, crouched and wary.

(7/2800/0)

"Lost Star Decent revives a synchro monster in the graveyard. However, it is summoned to defense mode and cannot change battle positions. Its effect is negated, its level is reduced by one and its defense points become zero. What could the King be planning with such a card?"

"Then I summon Attack Gainer!"

A small man appeared on Jack's field, wearing smooth black armor and a helmet with a red mane and an ominous, large red eye in the center.

(1/0/0)

"And now, the King shall reveal his most trusted servant! I'll tune my level one Attack Gainer with my level seven Crimson Blader!"

Attack gainer roared as the red dot on its helmet pulsed with a bright light.

"**The ruler's heartbeat will now file through here!**"

The tuner changed into a single ring that aligned with Crimson Blader.

"**Take witness to its creation-shaking power!**"

The stars appeared from Crimson Blader's form before they were pierced by the blast of energy.

"**Synchro Summon!**My very soul, Red Demons Dragon!"

From within the explosion, a fierce roar could be heard. A bulky black silhouette rose and revealed its form to the crowd and duelists alike. A massive red and black dragon, with large claws on hands and feet, three formidable horns protruding from the back of its head, and two powerful wings, Red Demon's Dragon was a sight to behold.

(8/3000/2000)

The dragon's yellow eyes beheld the form of Junk Warrior and roared a challenge to the other monster.

Junk Warrior: 2900 – 1000 = 1900

"What! Why is Junk Warrior's attack dropping?"

Jack spoke up over the announcer's surprised voice.

"Simple. When my Attack Gainer is sent to the graveyard for a synchro summon, an opposing player's monster loses 1000 attack points."

Jack accelerated as Red Demon's Dragon flew behind him.

"And now I'll give your Junk Warrior some payback! Go, Red Demon's Dragon! Absolute Power Force!"

A scorching yellow flame appeared around the dragon's fist as it dived at the other monster. Junk warrior's fist met the dragon's own, and the two monsters struggled, but Red Demon's would not be denied. With a shove, the dragon knocked the warrior back as it shattered upon the track of the duel stadium.

Yusei LP: 4000 – 1100 = 2900

Yusei SPC: 3 -1 = 2

"Impressive! In just one move Jack has evened the odds! What more will we see from these duelists?"

"I'll end my turn. Now, bring forth all of your power! My Red Demon's Dragon will gladly accept it!'

Yusei grimaced at the loss of Junk Warrior, but nonetheless drew the top card from his deck.

Yusei SPC: 3 Jack SPC: 3

Yusei LP: 2900 Jack LP: 2900

Yusei hand: 4 Jack hand: 2

"I activate the trap card, Synchro Spirits! By removing Junk Warrior from the game, I can revive the monsters I used to summon him! Be revived! Junk Synchron! Fortress Warrior!"

Yusei slid Junk Warrior into the removed from play zone on his duel disk as two blue portals opened on the surface of the track. Junk Synchron (3/1300/500) and Fortress Warrior (2/600/1200) flew out of the portals, hovering along as they kept pace with Yusei's D-Wheel.

"Next, I'll normal summon Tuningware!"

With a beep, a small yellow robot appeared, wearing a scarf and a frying pan on its head.

(1/100/100)

"Then I'll use Tuningware's effect: if I use it for a Synchro Summon, I can raise its level by one."

Tuningware beeped as its level adjusted accordingly. (1 + 1 = 2/100/100)

"So now I'll tune my Junk Synchron with Tuningware, Level Eater, and Fortress Warrior!"

The three rings made from Junk Syncron's body flew into the air while the three other monsters followed its path.

_"Gathering fighting souls will awaken the raging wicked god! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!_Obliterate, Junk Destroyer!_"_

As the light from the summon dimmed, sounds of powered machinery and moving mechanical workings could be heard as a bulky robot flew out of the sky. Four huge wings of white steel held the assembly in the air, while the black armored robot clenched its four fists and let out a groan.

(8/2600/2500)

"When Tuningware is used for a synchro summon, I can draw a card." Yusei drew, adding a fourth card to his hand.

"Furthermore, when I synchro summon Junk Destroyer, I can destroy cards you control equal to the number of non-tuners I used to summon him. Since I used three non-tuners, I can destroy up to three cards. You only control two cards, so I'll destroy both of those! Tidal Energy!"

Five orbs on Junk Destroyer's chest opened and shot rays of blinding light that struck Jack's field. When the light dimmed down, the World King was riding alone, no longer with the re-assurance of Red Demon's or his set card.

"Now, Junk Destroyer! Attack Jack directly! Destroy Knuckle"

Junk Destroyer flew off, raising one of its fists to smash into Jack's D-Wheel when a large ring could be heard. The warrior roared as it was pushed back by an invisible force.

On Jack's field a small creature could be seen; a small imp whose body was a massive bell.

(1/0/0)

"Close, but not close enough. When I take a direct attack, I can special summon Battle Fader from my hand. Not only does this negate your attack, it ends your entire battle phase."

Yusei tensed before setting one card behind Junk Destroyer, putting his hand at three cards.

"I'll end my turn."

"And now, reappear, my trusted vassal! Red Demon's Dragon!"

There was silence. Yusei rode alongside Jack as a burst of pressure came from above the both. A clawed red arm burst from thin air, followed by a head, wings, and the rest of the body. Flames leaped off of the dragon's form as it dove, flying over the field to hover over Jack's Wheel of Fortune.

(8/3000/2000)

"H-how did Red Demon's survive Junk Destroyer's effect?"

Jack smirked at his rival.

"It's simple really. I chained Interdimensional Matter Transporter to your desperate monster's effect. This removed Red Demon's from the game until the end phase.

"OH MY! The King has reversed the situation in his favor!"

Jack drew, grinning as his counters rose.

Yusei SPC: 4 Jack SPC: 4

Yusei LP: 2900 Jack LP: 2900

Yusei hand: 3 Jack hand: 2

"I'll activate my Angel Baton! I'll draw two cards", Jack drew twice, "And then discard Big Piece Golem from my hand as a cost."

"And now, my counter attack! Red Demon's Dragon, incinerate Junk Destroyer! Crimson Hell Flare!"

A burning red flame appeared in the Dragon's maw as it let loose, the stream of flame piercing through Junk Destroyer's frame. Yusei growled as his monster's burning remains slammed into the track, his lifepoints decreasing as they did so.

Yusei LP: 2900 – 400 = 2500

Yusei slid Junk Destroyer into his graveyard, activating a set card as he did so.

"Trap, activate! Truth Reinforce! This trap lets me summon a level two or lower warrior type monster from my deck directly to the field! Come! Doppel Warrior!"

A thin man clad in black combat gear and holding a blue crossbow appeared, an afterimage flickering behind him as he hovered beside Yusei's D-Wheel.

(2/800/800)

"And now at my end phase, Red Demon's Dragon will destroy Battle Fader since it did not attack."

A torrent of flame consumed Battle Fader as Jack's turn ended.

5D's/5D's/5D's

Yusei's mind drifted off earlier that week, two days ago. He'd visited Jack's residence in the Tops.

"_Yusei. I know you've come to ask me about something."_

"_Yes Jack. It's important."_

"_And I trust you know what will make me listen. Meet me at the stadium in two days. I'd like a formal duel."_

Yusei knew that when a challenge presented itself, Jack wouldn't back down. He also knew that Jack wanted a rematch.

5D's/5D's/5D's

Yusei SPC: 5 Jack SPC: 5

Yusei LP: 2400 Jack LP: 2900

Yusei hand: 4 Jack hand: 3

Yusei snapped out of his thoughts before switching off the autopilot. He currently held four cards, and had three speed counters. Jack's field only contained Red Demon's Dragon while his own consisted of Doppel Warrior.

"_In order for Jack to understand, through this duel I'll-"_

"From my hand, I summon Debris Dragon!"

A small white Dragon flew out of Yusei's new card. It had short limbs and sharp features. (4/1000/2000)

And when Debris Dragon is normal summoned, I can special summon a level two or lower monster from my graveyard! I choose to revive Shield Wing!"

With a squawk an emaciated green pterosaur with feathered wings, appeared on Yusei's field. (2/0/900)

Jack smiled. "So it's come down to this once again, has it? Your dragon against mine?"

Yusei only sent the three monsters on his duel disk to the graveyard before chanting again.

"_Clustering hopes form a new shining star!_"

Yusei's three monsters flew into the air.

"_Become the path its light shines upon!_"

The three monsters vanished as the familiar green burst shot through the four tuning rings.

"_Syncro Summon! Take flight_, Stardust Dragon!"

With a loud cry, a white dragon flew onto the field, its body decorated with patches of blue. While less bulky than Red Demon's Dragon, Stardust Dragon had a majestic presence as it flew alongside Yusei's D-Wheel. (8/2500/2000)

"Furthermore, since Doppel Warrior was used for a synchro summon, I get two Doppel Tokens."

Two ghostly images of Doppel Warrior leapt out of blue portals as they floated behind Stardust Dragon. (1/400/400 X 2)

"Then I'll set two cards facedown. Turn end."

Jack drew, and accelerated as he did so.

Yusei SPC: 6 Jack SPC: 6

Yusei LP: 2400 Jack LP: 2900

Yusei hand: 1 Jack hand: 3

The King surveyed his hand. He had three cards to use.

_"If I leave Stardust there, Red Demon's won't be able to destroy both tokens on my next turn."_

"I'll attack Stardust Dragon with Red Demon's Dragon! Absolute Power Force!"

Once again, the burning yellow flame ignited in Red Demon's fist as it flew towards Stardust.

"I don't think so Jack! Trap, open! Card Defense! I'll discard Turret Warrior to negate your attack!"

Hundreds of cards flew in front of Stardust, forming a barrier that held off the other dragon.

"Then, when the attack is negated, I can draw another card."

Yusei drew as Red Demon's snorted in frustration before gliding back to Jack's field.

Jack chuckled.

"And once again I can count on you to protect your cards. I wonder how long you'll last with cards like that. I'll set two cards face down and end my turn."

Yusei paused before observing Jack. The man wasn't hesitating at all.

_"Two set cards? What are you planning, Jack?"_

Yusei SPC: 7 Jack SPC: 7

Yusei LP: 2400 Jack LP: 2900

Yusei hand: 2 Jack hand: 1

Yusei drew, and played a card.

"I'll release one of my doppel tokens to advance summon my Quickdraw Synchron!"

One of the tokens disappeared, as a shimmering green and purple gateway appeared. A brown and blue blur flew out of the closing portal, before landing on the field. It was a small blue robot clad in a red cape and a cowboy's hat, wielding two pistols.

(5/700/1400)

"Then I'll use this trap card, Emerging Awakening."

Stardust roared before vanishing before the surprised crowd.

"This card lets me remove a monster I control from play when I normal summon a monster. Then you'll take damage equal to the removed monster's level times 800!"

Eight orange orbs flew from Yusei's active trap card, slamming into Jack's bike.

Jack LP: 2900 – 800 = 2100

"Then I'll tune Quickdraw Synchron with my remaining token!"

Quickdraw Synchron nodded before splitting into five rings that fell around the single Doppel Token.

"_Gathering bonds weave a greater force! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Rev your engines_, Turbo Warrior!"

From the flash of light, a large red machine appeared. It was humanoid in appearance, with red plating, two large forearms, and a metal hairpiece. It looked as though it was also a truck, as the monster's chest was the front of a truck, and wheels could be spotted next to the robot's hips.

(6/2500/1500)

_ "If I can get rid of Red Demon's on this turn, Stardust will come back with 3,300 attack points. Jack's deck isn't defensive, so I'll definitely have the advantage if he can't protect Red Demon's."_

"Battle! Turbo Warrior, attack Red Demon's Dragon!"

Twin flames ignited in Turbo Warrior's boots as it blasted off to battle with the red and black dragon.

"Turbo Warrior's monster effect: When it battles with a level six or higher Synchro Monster, the battling monster loses half of its attack points! High rate power!"

Turbo Warrior shot a black tide of energy out at the opposing dragon. Red Demon's roared in pain as the blast caused its attack to drop.

(3000 – 1500 = 1500)

"Pierce! Accel Slash!"

Turbo Warrior raised a claw, glowing with red energy before it slashed at the weakened Red Demon's Dragon.

"As if I'd let your Turbo Warrior destroy Red Demon's Dragon! Trap, activate! Half or Nothing!"

Suddenly, Turbo Warrior flew away from Red Demon's, flying back to Yusei's field.

"Half or Nothing will give you a choice. If you choose to attack, Turbo Warrior's attack points will be cut in half, however if you wish, you can simply end this battle phase."

Yusei grimaced.

_"Next turn, Jack will attack with Red Demon's Dragon to clear out Turbo Warrior. If that happens, Stardust can destroy Red Demon's next turn."_

"I choose to end the battle phase!"

Red Demon's growled as its attack points rose to normal.

(8/1500 + 1500 = 3000/2000)

"Then I'll reduce my speed counters to one in order for another draw!"

Yusei SPC: 7 – 7 = 0

Yusei's bike suddenly slowed drastically, allowing Jack to shoot on ahead.

"Yusei's sacrificed speed for an extra draw! Let's hope it wasn't in vain!"

"I'll set two cards face down! Turn End!"

"Then it's my turn! I draw!"

Yusei SPC: 1 Jack SPC: 8

Yusei LP: 2400 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 0 Jack hand: 2

"Battle! Red Demon's, smite Turbo Warrior! Absolute Power Force!"

With a flash of yellow, the chained Turbo Warrior exploded from the enraged dragon's fist.

Yusei LP: 2400 – 500 = 1900

"Don't think I'm done attacking just yet! Reveal face down card! Assault Mode Activate!"

_"What? Jack also has that card?"_

Red Demon's Dragon roared as it ignited, the flames solidifying to its body, adding mass and power to its burning form.

"My very soul will become wrapped in the armor of hell itself and evolve into a new being! Be born, Red Demon's Dragon/Assault Mode!"

When the flames settled, the new monster could be seen. It was the same monster, but with added bulk, clad in plates of blood red armor on its chest, shoulders, forearms, and shins.

(10/3500/3000)

"Wow! It looks like Jack's got another hidden ace monster! But how will Yusei handle this attack! This could be the end!"

"Now, my monster! Attack him directly! Extreme Crimson Force!"

Yusei cringed as the dragon's burning fist descended upon him. Soon, it would all end.

-5D's-

Effect: This card cannot be affected by any card effects. If a player activates a non-"Speed Spell" Spell Card, they take 2000 damage. During each player's Standby Phase, each player places 1 Speed Counter of their own on this card (max. 12 for each player). When a player takes damage, remove Speed Counters from this card for each multiple of 1000 damage that player has taken.

Once per turn, you can remove any number of your own Speed Counters from this card to activate an appropriate effect:

Seven- Draw one card

Ten- Destroy one card on the field

Twelve- Draw three cards. You cannot activate any of those cards the turn you activate this effect.

I figured that 5D's would have a new Speed World in play after the mess that was the WRGP. I personally preferred when the players had to protect speed counters instead of life points, and didn't rely on burning the opponent to death with Speed World 2, so I just tweaked the original Speed World. I know that the idea of Speed world 3 is hardly new, so just keep in mind that I'll use this version in place of the old one, but don't bother sending me a request to use this since it's rather uncreative.

In addition I decided that the duels should use 4000 LP like in the show. I figured this would make the story more accurate, but that also means I'll have to edit Yusei's duel with Atem sooner or later.

I'd like to give a big thanks to FanficFemale for pointing out how Speed Counters start to increase on the second turn rather than the first.

Glad to be getting feedback. Thanks for your thoughts.


	3. Chapter Two: Premonitions

Koros 45 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

Kindred Spirits Part II

Chapter Two: Roar, Red Demon's/Assault Mode! Premonitions of a Possible Future!

5D's /5D's /5D's

Amidst the packed Duel Stadium, hundreds of fans shouted. It was midday, and the current duel had been going on for the past twenty minutes. The two of Neo Domino's finest duelists were at the top of their game. On the oval track in the center of the stadium, two blurs shot by, one red, and another white. A second later, a giant red and black monster followed after with a roar.

Yusei's field was bare, safe for one set card in his Spell/Trap Zone. His bike slowly wound its way around the course as he tried to steer clear of Jack's path. The King's field was far more fortified, with his signature Red Demon's Dragon flying overhead.

Yusei SPC: 1 Jack SPC: 8

Yusei LP: 1900 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 0 Jack hand: 2

Jack's ace monster ignited in a burst of flames. The flames increased in mass and ferocity as the dragon basked within them. There was a load roar from within the inferno.

"My very soul will become wrapped in the armor of hell itself and evolve into a new being! Be born, Red Demon's Dragon/Assault Mode!"

When the flames washed off, the new monster's form could be seen. It was the same monster, but with added bulk, clad in plates of blood red armor on its chest, shoulders, forearms, and shins.

(10/3500/3000)

"Wow! It looks like Jack's got another hidden ace monster! But how will Yusei handle this attack! This could be the end!"

"Now, my monster! Attack him directly! Extreme Crimson Force!"

The huge dragon pulled back a blazing right fist and fell out of the sky, fist aiming for the back of Yusei's D-Wheel.

Yusei hit a switch on his duel disk just as the burning fist descended upon him.

"Trap, activate! Defense Draw!"

Red Demon's/Assault Mode struck an invisible barrier as flames from its fist washed around Yusei's D-wheel.

"Defense Draw allows me to cancel the battle damage I would have taken, and then draw one card."

Yusei LP: 1900 - 0 = 1900

Yusei hand: 1

Jack simply grinned. "So you've saved yourself with that card, but I wonder how long you can keep it up. I activate a Speed Spell! Sonic Buster! I select a monster I control, and you take damage equal to half of its attack points! So, since my Red Demon's/Assault Mode has 3500 attack points, you'll be taking 1750 points of damage!"

Jack's Speed Spell card crackled before it shot a large ray of green energy right into the Yusei Go.

Yusei LP: 1900 – 1750 = 150

Yusei SPC: 1 – 1 = 0

Yusei's red D-Wheel slowed as his life points fell, shaving off his only speed counter.

"That's enough for now! Now, show me how you'll face my soul in battle, Yusei! Turn end!"

The pompadoured announcer stood up and yelled to the crowd.

"And with the play of another speed spell, Jack proves that his dragon isn't just for show. It looks like it could be over soon, but Yusei still has a chance! Stardust Dragon will return next turn with 3300 attack points, but will the attack boost give Yusei what he needs?"

Yusei silently drew.

Yusei SPC: 1 Jack SPC: 9

Yusei LP: 150 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 2 Jack hand: 1

"During my standby phase, Stardust Dragon will return to the field!"

The purple fabric of Speed World shifted and warped as the slender Stardust Dragon shimmered into view with a roar.

(8/2500 + 800 = 3300/2000).

Yusei glanced at his hand. _"Good. I can stall Jack with this card."_

"I'll summon Zero Gardna!"

A small cartoon robot with large eyes, and small wings and a propeller popped out of a portal next to Yusei's D-wheel, carrying a massive metal block in the shape of a zero.

4/0/0

"I'll also set one card face-down and end my turn!"

Yusei SPC: 2 Jack SPC: 10

Yusei LP: 150 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 0 Jack hand: 2

From his circular craft, Jack's gaze found Yusei's newest monster.

_"That Zero Gardna is a problem. If I try to attack, Yusei's Zero Gardna can stop any damage and then his Stardust Dragon will destroy mine through its effect. Therefore, the best plan is to wait." _

Jack glanced at his hand and smiled. This next turn would be interesting.

"I set one card! Turn end!"

"My turn!" Yusei drew as his speed steadily increased. His D-Wheel was still far behind Jack's pace, but it would do.

Yusei SPC: 3 Jack SPC: 11

Yusei LP: 150 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 1 Jack hand: 1

"I'll set one card face-down, and switch Stardust to defense mode."

The slender white and blue dragon flew right above the Yusei Go, crossing its arms.

"Turn End!"

"My turn then." Jack cranked the Wheel of Fortune's throttle before speeding around the stadium.

Yusei SPC: 4 Jack SPC: 12

Yusei LP: 150 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 0 Jack hand: 2

With a chuckle, Jack raised the card he just drew.

"I've attained twelve speed counters! Through this speed, I can play any Speed Spell I wish! I'll activate the King's card, The End of The Storm!"

The announcer stood and screamed to the crowd over the winds generated from the Solid Vision around the field.

"Amazing! Jack Atlus has played his signature Speed Spell! The End of Storm requires ten Speed Counters to work, but if it's played, all monsters on the field will be destroyed and each player will take 300 points of damage for each of their own monsters!"

"_The End of Storm? Jack, are you trying to end this duel the same way you wanted to in the Fortune Cup?"_ Yusei narrowed his eyes_. "No. There's another reason for this move. Still, why try the same strategy once again?"_

A powerful vortex shot out of Jack's Speed Spell, as it expanded, gradually engulfing the field in a huge hurricane.

"Trap, Activate! Slip Stream!"

Nine lights on Yusei's dashboard lit up, each representing a new speed counter. He smirked and revved up his throttle as his D-Wheel shot down the track like a shooting star.

Yusei SPC: 3 + 9 = 12

"Slip Stream? Oh my! With this card, Yusei has instantly gained twelve Speed Counters! But can he still get by Jack?"

Jack laughed before resuming his turn.

"Hmph. So that set card wasn't Meteor Stream. You've managed to re-gain your speed, but it still doesn't hold a candle to my speed spell!"

Yusei glanced upwards at the billowing winds coming from Jack's speed spell.

"True, but Stardust does! Victim Sanctuary!"

Stardust flew into the billowing winds, gathering the destructive force in its body before disappearing into several particles of light. The storm ceased as Jack's spell shattered.

The energetic voice of the announcer was heard once more. "That was close! If Yusei let that effect go through, he'd have lost!"

Jack turned his Wheel of fortune sideways as he extended his right hand in front of him to point at Yusei's remaining monster. "And now my dragon will devastate Zero Gardna! Extreme Crimson Force!"

The dragon pulled back and let loose a mighty fist surging with orange energy.

"I'll use the effect of my Zero Gardna! By releasing this card, I can reduce all damage I take to zero this turn! Zero Barrier!"

Zero Gardna's form expanded until it was a gigantic oval. The dragon's fist slammed into the fading barrier as the flames from its attack flew to the sides of Yusei's D-Wheel.

Jack spun his D-Wheel around before resuming his course.

"In that case, I'll set one card face-down. Now, show me what you've gained through this speed, Yusei!"

One card materialized on the track near the Wheel of Fortune before fading. As Jack's turn came to an end, Yusei raised his right arm, placing his ace card upon his duel disk.

"Be resurrected! Stardust Dragon!"

Yusei's dragon re-appeared with a flash of light, taking to the skies as it tailed both duelists.

8/2500/2000

"My turn!

Yusei SPC: 12 Jack SPC: 12

Yusei LP: 150 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 1 Jack hand: 0

"I'll reduce my Stardust Dragon's level by one to revive my Level Eater!"

Stardust Dragon's body turned into orange framework which showed eight blue orbs representing its level stars residing inside of its body. One of the stars shattered, and a small red and black ladybug appeared next to the Yusei Go. (1/600/0)

Stardust's body returned to its normal white form. (8 – 1 = 7)

"Next, I'll activate the speed spell- Accel Draw! Now that I've got twelve speed counters, I can draw two cards!"

Yusei pulled the top two cards from his deck, nodding as he saw what they were.

"I'll set one card face-down, and switch Stardust Dragon to defense mode."

_"I could use Speed World Three's extra draw effect, but several of the Speed Spells I haven't drawn yet require a high cost. I'll gamble my speed on my next draw!"_

Stardust hunched over, crossed its arms, and turned a dark shade of blue as it flew directly in front of Yusei.

"That'll end the turn there."

"Hmph. So even with Accel Draw, you still got backed into a corner. Now we'll see if that set card of yours is really something to fear. My turn."

Yusei SPC: 12 Jack SPC: 12

Yusei LP: 150 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 1 Jack hand: 1

"_That face-down card is taunting me. Yusei wouldn't defend against Red Demon's unless he absolutely had to. That means he's willing to get rid of Stardust Dragon. However, my Assault monster destroys all of his monsters when it attacks, so one attack would clear out his defensive monsters." _

Jack growled before glancing at the set card.

"_If I know Yusei as well as I do, it's either something like Scrap Iron Scarecrow or Starlight Road. However, he added several trap cards into his deck prior to the WRGP. Even if it's something that can get rid of Red Demon's/Assault Mode, I'll still get Red Demon's back."_

"Battle! Red Demon's/Assault Mode, destroy Stardust Dragon! Extreme Crimson Force!"

Jack's dragon snorted in what could only be amusement before it gathered the burning energy in its right hand. The creature leapt forwards, slamming the fist into Stardust Dragon's crossed arms.

The white dragon screeched before flapping its thin wings, blasting Red Demons/Assault Mode with powerful winds. The other dragon struggled against the winds, but Stardust used the opportunity to grasp the rival dragon's punching hand in its own arms.

"Why wasn't I able to destroy it?" Jack shouted over the roars of both dragons and audience.

"When a defensive monster I control is attacked, I can discard Stronghold Guardian to boost that monster's defense points by fifteen-hundred!

Stardust Dragon: (2000 3500)

"But that's-"

"Just enough to repel your attack!"

Red Demons/Assault Mode twisted its head to the side in curiosity as the flames balled within its fist began to build up.

"Naturally, even when Red Demon's physical attack is withstood, its effect still activates."

Jack bared his teeth in frustration as Yusei pointed out his own card's effect.

"You don't need to tell me my monster's own effect! Crimson The End!"

Red Demon's/Assault Mode shot the flames down its arm at Stardust Dragon.

Yusei turned to his ace monster and shouted.

"Now, Stardust! Victim Sanctuary!"

Stardust Dragon body-slammed Red Demon's/Assault Mode, as Stardust's form turned into bright light, engulfing both dragons, and causing them both to break down into fragments of light.

"And another brilliant counter move by Fudo Yusei! It took all he had, but Jack's ace is out of the duel!"

Jack spoke despite the stunned audience, his voice drowning out the whine of both D-Wheels.

"When Red Demon's Dragon/Assault Mode is destroyed . . . "

A huge pillar of red blasted from the track of stadium with a loud reverberation. Collective shouts could be heard as a black shadow could be seen moving up the pillar.

". . . the original Red Demon's will be summoned!"

Two muscular wings tore through the top of the blast as Jack's dragon emerged like a reborn phoenix: flames leaping out of its mouth, hands, and wings.

(8/3000/2000)

"And there it is again! Even after Yusei's counter, Jack's Red Demon's Dragon is still in this duel!" The audience sheered as Jack's ace monster flew above the Wheel of Fortune.

"It's still my Battle Phase! Now, your Level Eater will burn! Crimson Hell Flare!"

From high in the sky, Jack's dragon breathed a fireball that vaporized Yusei's smaller Level Eater.

"Even after you get around the Assault Mode, Red Demon's is still ready to fight! Now let's see if Stardust can face it!"

As if on cue, Stardust Dragon rose back onto the field. (8/2500/2000)

"My turn!"

And with that, Yusei drew.

"_With this card, the duel will -"_

Yusei SPC: 12 Jack SPC: 12

Yusei LP: 150 Jack LP: 2100

Yusei hand: 1 Jack hand: 1

"I'll activate the trap card, Synchro Prominence! This trap will inflict one thousand points of damage to you for every synchro monster in play! Since you have Red Demon's Dragon, and I have Stardust Dragon, you'll take 2000 points of damage!"

Red Demon's and Stardust glowed in red and blue auras respectively. Both auras flew into Yusei's trap card and twin beams of white light glanced the Wheel of Fortune.

Jack SPC: 12 – 2 = 10

Jack LP: 100

Jack groaned as the blasts hit home, Slowing his D-Wheel. Yusei would soon pass him.

Yusei contemplated the card in his hand. The entire duel hinged on his next play.

"_And now, I'll -"_

"Yusei, finish this duel if you have the means! The King shall face victory or defeat with no regrets!"

"If I let Jack continue the duel like always, I won't be able to show him what I've seen." He glanced at the crowd, cheering both players onwards.

"If I win, Jack's legend will stop once again. He won't listen to what I need to tell him. If he wins, he'll be caught up in his victory." Yusei told himself that he was making the best decision as he played the card he just drew.

"_Jack, I'm sorry."_

"I activate the Speed Spell – The End of Storm!"

Jack's eyes widened.

As it had earlier, a large hurricane engulfed the purple atmosphere of Speed World Three. This time, however, there was nothing stopping it. Both dragons shattered as both duelists' life points fell. The audience watched in shocked silence as both D-Wheels came to a halt, the Solid Vision dispersing as it did so.

Yusei LP: 0 Jack LP: 0

"Th-The duel's a tie! Both players have been eliminated!"

Several reporters started to run towards both vehicles as Jack stood.

"Why did you end the duel like that? This isn't like you, Yusei!"

The other man regarded the King with a cool gaze.

"Jack, you've improved since we last dueled two years ago. Ending the duel in a draw wasn't my original intent, but I think it could tell us both something."

Jack growled and clenched his fists.

"Stop being so cryptic! I expected the duel to-"

Suddenly both men and their machines were surrounded by a mob of reporters, shouting questions and theories to both duelists. Jack closed his eyes, composing himself, before addressing the throng as though it was second nature.

"Mr. Atlus! Can you explain this unannounced match? Many people here were frustrated when the tickets sold out within an hour of the match, and several people with tickets weren't allowed in. Can you explain why this match was rushed?"

Jack glanced at the lead reporter. She had long blond hair, angular bangs, green eyes, and was dressed smartly in a red business dress. Something about her tone of voice felt condescending to him.

"Yusei's a busy man. He wanted a duel, and I wanted the world to properly see us clash after the match in the Fortune Cup was interrupted."

Another reporter shouted from behind the woman.

"But surly, you could have given the city more time to prepare?"

"There weren't any tournaments scheduled for this month, and besides, it was just one duel. Maybe I'll spread the word better in advance if Yusei agrees to another tournament."

The woman spoke again, eyes full of distain.

"Can you explain that assault card? Given that Red Demon's Dragon is one of a kind; any unique support for it seems situational at best."

"Look, if you're not going to put any research into the Assault monsters, I 'm not giving you a straight answer. All I'll say is this: there are several other unique cards with support. I don't see why Red Demon's makes the situation unique, especially when I used other support for it in the WRGP."

The woman's eyebrows furrowed.

"One more question, Mr. Atlus."

"Fire away."

"Did you go back to paying your opponents to lose on purpose since you became King again?"

Jack's mouth tightened. This reporter really didn't know what questions would piss him off. That or she was doing it on purpose.

"_Where did she hear about that?"_

"Look, next time you ask me a question about my opponents' integrity, watch what they do during the duel. As long as I've dueled, no one has ever surrendered to me. Jack Atlus isn't a fake duelist, and he'd like to think his opponents aren't either."

The woman's rebuttal was drowned out by the loud roar of an engine. Several reporters surrounding Yusei ran out of the way.

Jack spun to face the other man. Yusei had mounted his D-Wheel and kept revving the engine.

"Everyone, please get out of the way! I can't answer any questions."

The reporters all ran out of the way, many merging with the crowd around Jack. Yusei's red D-Wheel took off, exiting as quickly as possible. Jack chuckled. It was probably illegal, but then, the press couldn't really complain if the savior of their city was in a hurry.

His smirk turned into a frown when he realized that he now had twice as many people surrounding him. Amidst the packed crowd, Jack's mind started to churn with questions.

YGO+=(o)=+YGO

The palace was quiet during the evening. The lingering hours of the day burned away as the sun god fell from the sky, the massive orange disk slowly sinking over the horizon.

Atem sat on the throne, contemplating the prospect of an early sleep. He hadn't slept properly in what felt like ages. He blamed it on the pyramid-shaped puzzle that hung around his neck. The Puzzle did keep him alive, yes, but it never gave him the luxury of dreams. Now he was just glad to finally have his own body, although he missed the familiarity of looking over Yugi's shoulder, watching as the boy grew out of his shyness and taking over when things got bad.

The Pharaoh leaned back, resting his three shades of hair against the throne. He needed to rest eventually, but there was so much on his mind. In the two years he'd retaken his place as Pharaoh he'd worked hard. His hard work alone was not enough.

His thoughts were interrupted when a robed figure ran into the mostly deserted throne room before stopping to catch their breath. The figure stepped into the waning sunlight, the white robe, long black hair, and hawk-shaped headpiece instantly registering to Atem.

Isis was flustered. Her shoulders shook as she tried to compose herself in front of her king, bowing with difficulty.

"Pharaoh! I had a vision! We need to-"

Atem rose to his feet, and walked towards the woman. The priestess' eyes found his. They were wide with worry and confusion.

"Just start from the beginning. Tell me what happened."

"I apologize, my king. It is difficult to confirm most of what I perceive. Most of it is realities that may happen. Confirmed events are hard to find, as fate can be changed."

Atem frowned. "It's alright Isis. Take your time."

The long haired priestess nodded before her Pharaoh. She took a steady breath before standing up straight.

"There was a shadow. A large shadow. One that wasn't just contained to one plane of existence either."

"Did you see a way to avert it?"

"There were several things that I glanced, but I couldn't make out anything clearly."

"Would you mind showing me?"

The tauk around Isis' neck gleamed, the carved eye of gold shining with a dazzling light. Atem braced himself for a terrible vision of the future, wondering what he'd see.

The world around him vanished. There was a black void all around him, then a flash of white. He saw, felt, heard, and beheld it all at once.

The first was a scream, guttural, and wild. Atem clutched his hands to his head to stop the screaming, and stumbled as hot jets of red and purple flame ignited around him. The scream continued as it was joined by several bouts of laughter. Atem tried to block out the sounds, but they seemed to travel right through the hands clamped on both of his ears. In the center of the flames, a huge black spot appeared, growing in size and mass as it rose out of the fire. Atem felt, and heard a dull hum coming from whatever he was seeing. The blot expanded until it was all that he saw. There was a heartbeat, slow and deliberate in its pace. Atem was not sure whether it was his own. The scream returned at a higher pitch, joined by several others as a huge jolt of pain shot through Atem's body.

The Pharaoh let out a yell as his body shook. His vision flashed, and he staggered as he snapped out of the vision.

This time, Isis was there to steady him. She was not alone. Mana, Seto, and Karim were also present. Atem noted that he was in a bed, staring up at the ceiling of his room.

"How much time passed?" Atem spoke wearily.

"Enough for Ra to fade and for Nephthys* to awaken." Seto looked upon his Pharaoh sternly.

"Where's Shada and Mahado?"

Seto's eyes closed briefly. "You need to come with us, Pharaoh."

Atem locked eyes with Isis as he rose from the bed. She looked worried. It wasn't just her. All of the priests seemed to be on edge. He let Karim and Mana steady him as he followed Seto and Isis. After a few minutes of walking out of the palace the group entered the courtyard.

Mahado was there, clad in his formal white robes, golden headpiece, and pointed shoulder-pads. Behind him was the population of their settlement, still in the night air. They all were looking at something.

There was a yell as Shada walked out from the throng of people. He looked more shaken than Isis.

Atem freed himself from the other priests and ran towards Shada. The man staggered as he tried to stay composed in front of his king.

"Shada! What's wrong?"

The man could only lead Atem into the crowd, walking slowly through the gathered people.

As they passed through the group, Atem found himself staring at some sort of huge carving in the sand. Shada could only point at it with a shaking finger.

"What does it mean?"

The priest turned to Atem. In the man's eyes was terrible knowledge.

Atem turned back to the large impression of the spider on the sand as Shada spoke.

"It means that we need to prepare for war." 

YGO+=(o)=+YGO

* * *

><p>1. Nephthys was an Egyptian Goddess represented by the moon. I hope that my analogy was easy to understand, and that it made sense in context.<p>

Writing the duel was hard, and I tried to avoid turning it into what most of the last three arcs were composed of. I'll try not to abuse Stardust too often in the story, but since it's a crossover that might mean just giving Yusei a slightly smaller role than originally intended. Once again, I hope that Jack was in character and that the cast's actions made sense.


	4. Chapter Three: A Declaration of War!

Disclaimer: Koros45 Doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

Kindred Spirits Part II

Chapter Three: A Declaration of War?! Signs of Creeping Darkness

The wind whipped around Seto, the man struggling to hold onto his flying steed as the Spear Dragon flew over the countless sand dunes near his home. The priest urged Spear Dragon to fly lower and the dark blue creature complied. Squinting, Seto leaned forwards and noticed just how big the spider engraving was. The spider was huge; it's main body and legs extending for several yards on the sand. Seto made sure to fly around the whole form looking for anything that seemed notable.

After a few laps around the carving in vain, Seto returned to the courtyard. Spear Dragon landed on all fours, skidding and bringing up a cloud of sand as it did so. Seto patted the dragon on the shoulder before speaking the command of release. Spear Dragon shimmered before fading, returning to its resting place in one of the four towers around the city. Seto pulled the ornate blue and gold cap from his head, shaking the sand out of it, and brushing the remainder out of his brown hair before placing the cap back on his head.

Seto walked into the palace, and found Atem, Isis, Karim, Mana, Mahado and Shada sitting cross-legged in a circle in the middle of the throne room. The High Priest was about to comment how the Pharaoh should sit on his throne, but realized just how anxious the whole group was. Mana's eyes lit up as she saw him and the whole group turned to Seto.

"Pharaoh. The spider image is vast. I couldn't make out what it was until I viewed it from a great height."

The Pharaoh nodded. "Thank you, Seto. Now sit. I have to discuss this with all of you. Shada saw some kind of ancient battle between the Crimson Dragon and it's five servants, and the five Earthbound Gods when he looked into Yusei's mind." Atem turned to Shada.

"Out of all of us, you know the most about this threat."

Shada nodded and spoke.

"The spider god was the strongest of the Earthbound that Stardust Dragon showed me. It managed to seal away one of the five dragons as it was sealed itself. In addition it belonged to the man who would have killed Yusei had he not arrived here."

Mahado frowned, confusion brimming in his eyes.

"So it's strong and it's connected to Yusei's era? That doesn't bode well. I thought that that Crimson Dragon sealed the entrance when it left with Yusei?"

Seto spoke up. "It did, Dark Magician. That makes this even more troubling. If this thing's… image could appear here by its own willpower, then that means it could wake up at any time."

Mana clutched the Millennium Ring as the turned to Mahado.

"Should we even attempt to analyze this spider image? All I'm picking up is an aura of chaotic magic."

Mahado nodded. "For now, let's just try to contain it. I'll work on putting as many seals as I can around it. See if you can find any texts that mention anything that might be connected to this. I don't care how much of a stretch it is. If you find something that you think is important, let me know."

Mana nodded and ran off to the palace vaults to look for the texts in question.

Atem spoke to the rest of the priests. "I'm going to ask much from all of you. First, Shada, Isis. Get some rest. I'll need you both by my side soon, but make sure you have the strength to stand first."

Both priests nodded, and were each led out of the room by a palace worker. Atem turned to the others.

"Karim, I'll need you to move as many people as you can away from this carving. Cram them all into the south side of the city if you need to."

"Yes, my king."

The muscular priest stood and began to silently pick out several workers to accompany him.

"And Seto. I'm giving you full responsibility of our troops. Take as many Ka as you need and set them up around the city."

Seto nodded before grinning. "Gladly, my Pharaoh. If some dark God tries to cause us trouble, let's remind them just how strong we are!"

Atem could only smile at his High Priest and rival's spirit.

"_I just hope that we are strong enough."_

_5D's/5D's/5D's_

Satisfaction Town was doing fine. Kiryu glanced around the dusty village, noting the amount of newcomers. With the prospect of safe momentum, and the abundance of precious metals near the town, contractors were trying to gain legal access to the mine. Kiryu was, of course, against the notion. Too many men had already died in the mountains just to satisfy one man's greed. He frowned as one of the reporters pointed a camera at him.

"Mr. Kyosuke?" The man began snapping away at the shinigami duelist.

Kiryu wasn't amused. He hated the press and their cameras. Kiryu didn't know how Jack could live in their world.

Kiryu turned and walked away. The man attempted to follow, but was stopped by some of the residents. Kiryu sighed. It was a good town and the people all trusted him despite his murky past. They were willing to stand up to the rumors that surrounded the shinigami.

Kiryu stopped. Something felt off. His train of thoughts stopped and his vision flashed. He stumbled and fell to the ground. He didn't know how long he lay, but got up before anyone could say anything. It was the second time that it happened that week. Kiryu frowned. Paying for an impromptu visit to the doctor would have been fine had it been for Nico or West, but he was always hesitant to help himself. He blamed his past for that. Regardless, he was tired, and if he wasn't careful, the symptom would become a regular occurrence.

The shinigami came home early, and tried to sleep, but only tossed and turned. His muscles ached, and he sluggishly climbed out of his unkempt bed as though he were a stone giant. His feet could barely support him as he half ran and half fell down the stairs. Making the daily dinner was also a hassle, as he kept spacing out when he was supposed to be keeping his eye on the stove's timer. Regardless, an hour later, supper was ready and his kids were home.

After a traditional hug from West, Kiryu set the table while Nico grabbed the silverware and Nico hauled the drinking glasses to the table. The three began to eat, and Kiryu noticed that his appetite wasn't very strong. The pasta he'd worked on tasted so bland to him.

"Maybe I've really come down with something", he thought to himself. Nico was talking to the two about some new rule he'd heard about regarding his school's local dueling club. Something about an ante rule that Kiryu was sure one of the upper class members made up just to get easy cards from inexperienced players.

"You're sure West?", a skeptical Nico asked. "The same thing happened last month."

"But sis, it's a real duel, like those older tournaments in Domino. Besides, I don't plan on losing my Twin Gun Fighter to some stuck up guy."

Kiryu turned and found himself quick to anger. _"The child needs to learn the value of his cards. They're not merely prizes to wage for victory, or offerings to be given in defeat."_ He remembered his own favorite card, Archfiend General,and how it, along with the rest of his original deck, had been taken from him.

"West."

The boy turned.

"If someone's dueling for others cards, neglecting the natural feel of an opponent's soul, just to take their best cards, they aren't worth playing."

"But Dad, I-"

"Dad's right West. You know that's why I don't bring any cards to school. Everyone wants to know how good they are the instant you take them out and start sorting them."

West grumbled and left the table to grab seconds while Nico turned to her foster father.

"Dad, I need to talk to you."

"What is it?"

"Well, I need to go shopping for some new school supplies."

"And?" Kiryu chuckled. She'd bring up the new clothes any second.

"Well, I was wondering if you could give me some more money."

"Why? You already have a good back pack. If you need some pencils, I can give you some of West's spares."

"Kiryu, I want some new clothes. All the girls are getting new stuff, and I look like I'm from the slums."

She always called him by name when she was mad at him. It had begun to annoy him, but now more than ever, the Shinigami was losing his patience.

"Nico. Your clothes fit you just fine. I'm not about to have my daughter-"

"Sure, they fit me. They fit a girl, and I'm not a girl anymore! I mean, I can wear them for functionality's sake, but they just look so drab!"

Kiryu stood up and went to the refrigerator. He poured himself a glass of water before sitting back down. West entered shortly afterwards, with a large stack of linguini on his plate. Nico was too smart for him.

"Sis, you look fine. Besides, you know Dad's working as hard as he can to keep us healthy and safe."

"I know that West. I'm just saying that I'm-" She paused for a moment. "I'm just not sure if I'm the same Nico I've always felt like."

Kiryu sipped the water and was displeased by how little it did to fix his dry throat. He poured another glass and found that it changed nothing.

Puberty wasn't something he had extensive knowledge in. His time in Satellite had made it a confusing and worrisome ordeal for the for the boy as he gradually matured past childhood. He couldn't imagine what Nico was feeling, but compulsive clothes buying didn't feel like a solution to him.

"Nico. You know that once you get them, they'll just be more clothes waiting to be replaced by the next fad. The same thing happened in Satellite."

Nico raised as eyebrow. "Really? What, did you have some sort of hand me down contest with the rest of Team Satisfaction?"

Kiryu laughed, shaking his head.

"No. Not at all! We'd try to find the newest cards, whether we had to break into the printing factory or not. Turned out that it wound up being abandoned, and the only thing we really found was a bunch of mass produced common spells and traps, and a bunch of normal monsters. Two Pronged Attack, and Burning Land, and Hinotama Soul wherever you looked. Course, Yusei didn't mind using them , but -"

Nico grimaced and slammed her hand on the table.

"How does that tie into my situation?"

"What I mean is that we thought we'd get something big. The last card set's biggest boss monster or something, but we wound up with something that was both outdated and subpar. It was the urge to keep up with the fad; to have what all of the other duelists seemed to have. Even a Mystical Space Typhoon or Sakaretsu Armor would suffice. The point is that something practical is often better than something new, and I'm not about to risk getting you something you'll either end up hating or something that's out of style in three weeks.

Nico asked to be excused while West chowed down on his plate. Kiryu wondered what stories they'd have for him tomorrow, and whether he'd get any sleep.

_5D's/5D's/5D's_

Jack yawned and focused. The image of a Defender the Magical Knight solidified before his eyes and Jack was able to sign the card with just a few strokes of his pen.

"_May you be protected by the grace of a King - Jack Atlus_"

The ecstatic fan beamed and walked out of line to get pictures with the King's signature.

Jack looked up and gave his best smile to the next fan. This one was a pre-teen boy, staring nervously in awe as his shaky hand extended to give Jack what appeared to be a first printing of Harpy Lady. Jack grined. he knew exactly what to write. He lifted the pen, and was about to write something that the boy might look upon as serious advice or humor when he felt a shudder. Something was wrong. It wasn't pain, or fatigue, but something just felt off. Jack glanced back down at the card and quickly scribbled down his signature before handing the card back to the fan.

The other cards were all a blur. He did remember seeing a Pitch black Warwolf and considered obtaining one for his own use, and questioning why a child was so excited about his Rescue Rabbit's ability to summon normal monsters. There was one adult who asked him about the duel, of course, and his comments to the crowd regarding the outcome. The King was just pleased that he still had his fanbase after he experienced his first official tie.

Security was all over the stadium no doubt due to a worrisome Mikage, and Jack had to go through all sorts of special security procedures before he was allowed to get his D-Wheel and drive away. It had been a long day, and he needed to think on it. He had noticed a familiar face in the audience, and it nagged at him.

The white monowheel tore through the slick city streets as Jack neared his apartment in the tops. His hand fought the impulse to slap himself as he spied a gaggle of reporter's cars in pursuit of him. On top of it, there was a paparazzi challenging him to a riding duel.

The frown turned into a savage grin as the King accepted the duel with glee, making a mental note to lead the mob away from his house as he did so.

Tonight, the King would bear his fangs once again.

_5D's/5D's/5D's_

The chores got easier and easier. As Satellite and Neo Domino's relationship transformed from a parasitic one to a mutual one, Satellite dwelling citizens worked less, got paid at least minimum wage, and had access to the city. Martha noted that the crime rate had also dwindled, though there was still the occasional robbery or loan shark from the city from time to time. She grinned as she finished scrubbing the bathroom. The improved plumbing was cheap and it meant less frustrated adolescents and less maintenance. Hikari and Takuya were sitting at the table, watching some video on an older viewstick model. Martha thought she spied a certain white D-Wheel on the teens' inverted screen.

"Twin Sword Marauder! Attack his Giant Germ! Saber Pierce!"

On the screen a muscular man wielding two large swords slammed into a giant purple bacteria.

Jack's opponent laughed. "Didn't you know Giant Germ's effect?! First you take 500 points of damage and then I can summon two more germs from my deck! Mass Infestation!"

The wounded germ swelled and exploded, bits of it's shattered form flying by Jack's D-Wheel.

"Jack laughed in return even as he took the damage. And don't you forget, when Twin Sword Marauder attacks a defense monster, it can attack again! Double Assault!"

Martha chuckled. Jack was always that enthusiastic as a kid, but the deep voice somehow made his antics hilarious to his foster mother.

"Is that the duel from this afternoon, with Yusei?"

Takya pushed his side of the screen to Hikari, giving the teen full access to the device.

"No. It's live broadcast!"

Martha's eyes widened. She walked around to Hikari's chair and peeped over the top of her head. Jack commanded his second monster, Mad Deamon to attack the remaining germ, and his opponent's life points hit zero with a definite beep.

Jack spun his ride around so that he was driving backwards. Martha's hands flew to her mouth. That idiot! Those sort of stunts would mean to death of him.

"Listen up everyone! Jack Atlus will not allow further foolery! Though the King tied with his rival today, his fangs are still ready to pierce any fool brave or stupid enough for the challenge!"

There was a storm of mixed voices and electronic buzzing as the dialogue from the various reporters was distorted in the evening wind.

"Thanks for letting me gather up my speed counters!"

Jack let out his celebratory laugh before spinning around again. The back of the Wheel of Fortune blazed blue. The engine fired and he was a white speck within seconds.

"Wait a minute. He's - he's heading towards the bridge!"

Hikari stood up, pushing a button on the virtual screen, and pushing in keys madly.

"What are you doing?"

She chuckled. "Well, I was able to figure out what the multi-duel network was from Crow, and I was able to figure out how to hack - erm, I mean ,how to acess it from Yusei. I'm going to try and call him."

She waited a moment before handing the stick to Martha.

"It's for you."

Martha grabbed the device and sighed. Talking to Jack was always a special time for her.

"Who is this?! The King demands who the hel-"

"Jack!" Martha yelled out his name in a single, loud syllable.

"Martha?!"

She noticed a small image of Jack's face in real time, and laughed when she saw his jaw slacken and his eyes widen in surprise.

"You're going to Satellite?"

Jack bared his teeth as he glanced over his shoulder. Another reporter was closing in on him. "Yeah. Just give me a minute."

"You planned on coming here unannounced?" Her voice became stern, and Hikari and Takya glanced towards each other in fear. If this woman that looked after them could inspire fear in the King of Duelists, what could she not do?

"Relax. I'll clean the gutters and make you breakfast." As he spoke, Big Piece Golem crushed his next opponent's Goblin Attack Force.

The room was silent for about twenty more seconds. All Hikari and Takya could hear was the audio from the screen.

"No other guests."

"I got it. I'll lose these jokers in the B.A.D. area, then meet you guys in about an hour."

Martha chuckled.

"See you, Jack."

The image flickered before going dark.

Martha's brain fired on all cylinders as she thought of which meal would be fitting for a King.

Yu-Gi-Oh! =(0)= Yu-Gi-Oh!

Marik decided that he was not the most patient when it came to waiting around. The man paced the dark cavern that he'd been confined to for hours and the seven piles of sludge hadn't seemed interested in talking to him. For the third time he'd been in the room he glanced at his cell-mate.

The stringy man had a constant smirk on his face and it seemed unnerving, even for the psychopath. Marik crossed his brown arms and pondered whether his captors would mind if Marik strangled him.

The crouching man's brown bangs obscured his eyes and his white suit was miraculously free of stains. Marik mused that his own annoyance must have been because the other man was so comfortable with his situation.

"You do realize that we're going to have to get to know each other at some point?"

The man's voice was smooth and elegant. It made Marik want to break his jaw.

"I don't have any interest getting to know you."

The white clad man chuckled.

"Marik Ishtar, your better half is long dead, and he made peace with the Pharaoh. The least you can do is move on and talk to me about your problems"

The information only agitated Marik. There was no way of knowing whether the man spoke the truth or not.

"Well then give me something at least related to my revenge that I can break with these hands before I put your spine at the top of my list."

"Hmm. Well that won't arrive for at least a month. Something to break that isn't my spine, I mean. The third member of our group should be here soon though."

"How soon?"

"A day, give or take. This space does strange things to time. Even I wasn't sure we'd have all of the Immortals assembled when I arrived."

"So you planned this? Being in the cell?"

"I forgot how agitated the Immortals get when someone comes to them with science rather than magic. These primitive Gods are so amusing."

"Gods? Those seven overgrown zoo animals are Gods?"

"You chanted to a giant ball of light that turned into a metal dragon avatar of Ra."

"That was an avatar of the sun god."

"Yes it was. And it, along with those seven Immortals, still wound up being made into cards."

"Are you saying that we're being held captive by Duel Monsters cards? If that's the case lend me a Dark Hole."

The man laughed. "If only it were that simple. The gods that want to be directly involved come down to Earth in the form of weapons. Luckily we've moved on from clubbing each other in the head with enchanted battle axes and spears and now use Duel Monsters as a way of combat. Ra. Odin. Athena. Inti. Izanagi. All eventually swallowed their pride and ascended to the human realm through cards. Naturally these gods had to drastically reduce their powers while in card form, hence weaknesses they would not otherwise have."

Marik raised an eyebrow. "And you know all of this, how?"

The man chuckled. "I've been around the block a few times in my life. I've seen this sort of thing happen before and wanted to jump into a big conflict while I had the chance. Sorry, I didn't answer your question. The place I grew up in had a very extensive library. Lots of things to learn from. Mistakes not to repeat. Monsters not to summon. Honestly pretty boring stuff. One of the reasons I like to travel."

"Why are we here?"

The man grinned. Marik could only imagine that it was how others must have felt when he did the same.

"What if I told you that you still could have revenge? What would you do?"

"Depends on who I'm having my revenge on."

Marik slumped against the wall across from the man. The man's plain brown eyes met his.

"Would you bide your time and scheme or would you act as soon as possible."

Marik looked at the stone ceiling. "Any action is better than waiting around."

The white clad man reached into his jacket and pulled out a blank card.

Marik's hand shot up in reflex as he caught the card, flipping it over to reveal a blank space where the type and artwork would normally be.

"Be careful with this. It's special."

"What is it?"

The man sat up, straightening out the wrinkles in his suit as he did so.

"You could call it a mirror."

So after about an entire year of neglect I've updated. It's been a long year so I'll try to make it up to you guys with more chapters. And yes, I am referring to Malik's dark half as Marik. It's probably the only dub name I'm gonna throw out there other than maybe mixing up Osiris and Slifers' respective names. I really hope that Marik was in character and that he came of as threatening. He's a complex character and I'd hate to write him poorly.

Anyway there's still a bit of ways to go before this story really starts rolling so bear with the slow updates. Thanks for those who have stuck with me and thanks to all who have recently joined. You guys rock.


	5. Chapter Four: Momentum's Bridge!

Kindred Spirits

Chapter Four: Momentum's Bridge! Seek out the Alternate World!

Koros45 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

The airport was crowded at night. Hustle and bustle was constant as masses of people came into and left the building. Amidst the noise and movements of the passengers, a plane could be heard landing on the darkened runway. Inside the bustling airport, a man sat on a padded red bench, watching the arrivals screen. He was wearing a black sweater and jeans, and kept his blue eyes focused on the arriving passengers. From time to time, he would check the clock and scribble down notes on a pad of paper. He scratched the cap he wore over his hair. It wasn't a usual piece of clothing that he wore and he was more used to the weight of a helmet on his head.

"Flight 307: Britain to Neo Domino has landed. Flight 307: Britain to Neo Domino has landed", the message boomed from the loudspeakers.

He glanced to the arrivals screen for affirmation before getting up and walking to where the baggage would be sent. He didn't know what bags he was looking for, but he knew that it was the most likely place he'd run into his guest. He sat on a bench near the area and looked for his target.

The man shifted his relaxed stance into a more wary one, as one of the arrivals approached him. She was a teenager, clad in a yellow jacket, with a red skirt poking out from beneath it. She let her light green hair fall to her shoulders and greeted the man with a smile before dropping two large bags of luggage at her feet.

The man grinned and stood up before he raised his right hand, bumping it against her extended fist. He found himself grinning as he spoke. "Welcome back to the city."

The teen grinned in return. "Good to be back."

Once the two exited the airport, the man rubbed the side of his face, exposing a yellow mark under some make up. "I didn't want to attract attention."

The girl laughed at his awkwardness. "Its fine, Yusei."

The man paused for a second, registering the silence around them. "Where's Rua?"

"He-" She chuckled briefly –"He decided to try his hand at the local tournaments and told me to go on vacation myself. Duel Monsters is pretty popular in the UK."

Yusei frowned. He knew that Rua would be useful to keep around so that he and his sister could watch each other's backs.

"Why didn't you tell him where it would be? You know he'd jump at the chance to hang out with the team again."

Ruka sighed. "He's been pretty closed off lately. It's like he's gotten an even bigger head after hitting puberty. I hinted at visiting Japan during break but he still just went back to editing his deck."

She rolled her eyes and Yusei felt it would be wise to bring it up again later.

"I see. Perhaps it's better this way then. You need to eat?"

Ruka shook her head. "No thanks. I ate on the flight. You got a place where I can crash?"

Yusei nodded.

Ruka gave him one of her luggage bags and followed him out of the white complex into the cold city night. The city's lights shimmered in the darkness and she felt a sense of nostalgia.

She followed Yusei to a bulky grey D-wheel, far less streamlined than the Yusei Go, but it did have compartments for her to fit her luggage into.

She sat in the side car and yelped as the ride was a bit bumpier than she expected.

Ruka kept quiet during the ride, simply listening to the sound of the engine. It wasn't quite the same as the other times she heard the engine's whine, but it was relaxing in a sense.

Sometime later, the D-wheel stopped and Yusei killed the engine. Ruka dismounted to find the two in an old garage. Ruka exited and looked to her left. The proud chrome steed that Yusei drove to victory on countless times was still in top shape and wore a fresh gleam from his latest big duel. She smiled at the sight of the vehicle and took her stuff out of the garage to look at Yusei's quarters. Ruka noted that it was smaller than Zora's place, and had odds and ends of half-finished gadgets lying around.

"How did you get such an anonymous location?"

"After the Z-ONE incident, I decided to keep a low profile. Saiga helped me get a landlord who didn't care who I was."

Ruka picked up a postcard and saw the visage of a grinning old man, gold tooth sticking out of his smile as he stood arms wide in front of what looked like a Mayan temple. There were also a stack of letters to Yusei, mostly from Martha, but she glanced a Nerv or Blitz every so often in the pile.

"Old man Yanagi and your old Satellite friends? You kept in touch with them too?"

Yusei turned and gave a half-smile. "Yeah. Postage was the best way for me. As long as I use an alias, no one will track me."

Ruka nodded and turned from the pile of postage. "You mind if we talk about your mystery card tomorrow? I'm pretty beat."

"Yeah. Shower's over there. There's a clean towel already in here. Wake me up if you need anything."

Ruka grabbed her stuff and got ready to wash up while Yusei crashed on the couch. It was great having an old friend over, but the reasons for meeting in the first place had been gnawing at him. Yusei leaned back against the old couch and frowned when he still felt stiff. The dull yellow thing was a gift from Martha's when she got new furniture. Her foster son was glad to accept it but it was pretty old. Soon he'd have to either fix or replace it.

Yusei shifted and accessed the internet via holostick. He typed in a few words and found himself on Jack Atlus's profile. He sent the other man a quick message telling him that Ruka had arrived and that he'd respond again by tomorrow before sending the note.

Then, there was Crow. Since they'd saved Neo Domino, Crow had become a police officer much to the charigen of Martha and the former Team Satisfaction. Since Crow's profile was police related, sending him a casual e-mail wasn't a good way to go about it. Yusei grumbled and struggled for a few moments making a temporary account on one of the numerous social networks that Crow warranted. He sent the same message with some code words Team Satisfaction had and closed the window before taking a deep breath. That left Aki and Rua.

Yusei decided to leave Rua to Ruka's hands before taking a deep breath and typing her name into the search bar. He'd gotten used to the various new articles slandering her name since the Fortune Cup, but they were still troubling. Aki had been through hell and back, and he found it a bit disheartening that Aki's story didn't seem to paint a clear picture about how she transitioned from a member of the Arcadia Movement to a graduate of Duel Academy, riding duelist, and now an intern in a German medical school. He knew she'd been seeing a counselor regularly after the Dark Signers were defeated, but that was it. With all of Yillaster's machinations going on, it was hard to keep tabs on anyone, especially while living with Jack and Crow.

He frowned before clicking around with his pointer finger. One article was about a birthday party that involved a Misty Lola that somehow didn't make the headlines, thank heavens. Another was an ironic opinion piece regarding her pursuit of a medical degree when her former occupation was severely injuring people. A third was about her dueling career and about how she was wasting her time being a doctor. Yusei sighed before he searched through his own contact list. Usually he wouldn't contact her parents, but he didn't want to interrupt Aki's studying or give her cause to worry when his plan hadn't really started yet. He stood up and walked out to the porch, looking down on the city.

He pressed the dial button and waited for a voice to say hello.

"Is this the Izayoi residence?"

Setsuko put down the book she was skimming through and jumped at the ringing of the phone. She'd been sitting on her hands all day to hear from Aki or Hideo, but the voice she heard from the phone's earpiece was neither.

"Is this the Izayaoi residence?"

The voice was deep and straightforward, and she recognized it from a hospital duel and several of the duels from the WRGPX.

"Yusei Fudo?"

"Yes. I wanted to know if there was a good time to contact Aki. I'm not sure of her schedule and-"

Miss Izayaoi toned the rest of the boy's words out. She'd always know about Aki's crush on Yusei, but she never imagined that the man returned those feelings. For a while she thought that his instruction to Aki as a riding duelist would become a relationship but Yusei seemed perfectly happy with her friendship, and Aki didn't show disappointment, at least not to Yusei's face.

"What's this about?"

"Well something came up concerning team 5D's, and I need to let Aki know."

"What is it?"

She could feel the hesitation in Yusei's voice on the other side of the phone.

"We're having a get-together soon and wanted to know if she could make it. I also just wanted to see how she's doing over in Germany. Since the team drifted apart, it hasn't been the same."

Setsuko paused. There was more to it than that, but she could tell that Yusei was genuinely concerned about her daughter.

"Well I don't know exactly what she's been doing, but she's free to talk to us Friday and Saturday. You could try then."

"Thanks."

They said goodbye and Setsuko switched off the phone, thinking of her daughter and whether this call was a good thing or a bad thing.

-=(0)=-

Ruka frowned and sat on a lone comfy chair in the corner.

"Show me what you need."

Yusei placed a card on her lap. It looked normal, but she felt something strange about it.

"_Ruka." _

"What is it, Ancient Fairy?" Ruka spoke aloud so that Yusei could at least hear half of the conversation.

"_That card is not from this plane of reality."_

"What do you mean?"

"_That card is a message."_

Yusei turned. "I figured that the dream you had also tied into the card I was given. I didn't think on it until after the Z-ONE incident."

"Wait. . . when did you get this card?"

Yusei frowned. "I'm not sure. It just appeared in my deck after I dueled Rudger. After I came back. Whoever I met on the other side must have given it to me."

"When I left to fight Paradox, did I seem out of it when I came back?"

Ruka nodded. "Yeah. You remembered most of it at first, but it faded really fast after the first few minutes. It was annoying since you seemed ready to tell us all about what happened, but stopped just as you were about to tell us anything important."

Ancient Fairy nodded to Ruka. _"Travel between time and space can distort out perceptions. Not even the Crimson Dragon likes doing it." _

Yusei nodded. "Ok. So I fell into momentum and I dueled someone and then I came back. I think Dad helped with that, but I don't think that jumping blindly back into Momentum will have the same effect."

Yusei went on to explain: "I've done the calculations using what I could remember from Momentum Express's wormhole research. If Rudger was correct, the residual energy in Momentum can be manipulated in different ways. Energy transmission could allow the particles to flow from Neo Domino to Peru. That's how he was able to free the Immortals even though they were on the other side of the planet. This theory also ties into the basics behind Clear Mind, as I noticed my D-Wheel and I disappeared whenever I summoned Shooting Star Dragon in the past.

Ruka nodded. "So if I understand this, Momentum could be our way back. We would just need to figure out how to get there."

Yusei smiled and handed her the card. "That's where you come in."

Ruka held the blank card and she felt something nudge at her mind. Something not from their world. She had found the thread, but she didn't know what it meant.

"Yusei, I have an idea."

Jack was woken up to a blinking energy stick. He frowned and pressed the top of it. Yusei was sending him a message. Jack scrolled past the countless junk mail from journalists requesting an interview with him, making sure to star a few in particular as he did so, and found that Ruka had sent him a message as well. Guess that meant it was something special.

He felt bad shrugging off time he could spend with Martha, but he knew that whatever it was, it was important for Ruka to be contacting him. Luckily, Martha's new place still wasn't too far from the

B.A.D. area, and the drive there was quick.

The unfinished Daedalus Bridge hung in the midnight sky over the cracked earth and hot air, a reminder of how things used to be for Satellite.

The foreboding spire welcomed the three with silence as they walked into the old momentum reactor. The shifting patterns of rainbow light remained the same but the malicious feelings Ruka felt from the area was now long gone. It was hard to keep her mind from forming images of Stardust's struggle with Uru, nor imaging Yusei's body falling into the pit once again.

She turned to him, if only to make sure he was alright. He had hooked up the Yusei Go, the Wheel of Fortune, and her skateboard to a generator in the dark building.

He looked content connecting everything and Ruka almost wanted to laugh at how different the place felt just due to their behavior.

Yusei placed the mystery card on his duel disk. Light filled the dim room and the three found that it had not changed much since Team Ragnorak was last there. Still dark and reeking of shadows, despite Uru's absence.

"Ruka, do you feel anything?"

The girl closed her eyes. There was something she glimpsed in the shadow of her mind's eye. She placed Ancient Fairy on the duel-disk next to the card. Her long serpentine dragon appeared above the sea of momentum with a roar, rainbow light shimmering and reflecting off the regal dragon's blue hide and golden armor.

Ancient Fairy gave off a cry and flew down into the momentum reactor. Ruka, Jack and Yusei all glanced at one another amidst the dark reactor. Several seconds passed and the three breathed in the dank air waiting for a response. Then, all three felt something below them shake as Ancient Fairy surfaced, breaching the changing neon light as she did so, spreading her scaled wings and giving off a roar as she landed in front of Ruka.

"_Ruka, there's the trace of a rift down in the reactor. I can't guarantee that you'll be able to cross over, but it's a start."_

Jack looked at Ruka once the dragon stopped speaking.

Jack spoke his thoughts out loud. "You can still talk to each other?"

Ruka and the dragon both shrugged as though this was common knowledge.

Ruka spoke back. "Obviously. What, you think that I lost my spirit powers when the Crimson Dragon took away our birthmarks?"

Jack shrugged. "I just assumed it came with the mark is all. It's good to see a Signer Dragon can still talk to us though."

Ruka turned to Ancient Fairy. _ "What do we need to cross?"_

Ancient Fairy lowered her head to the three former Signers and continued_. "Powerful souls. Ones that have rested."_

Yusei nodded. "That makes sense. Back when I fought Rudger, I only used Stardust a handful of times. That, and its effect brought it back from the graveyard where it was at rest, so when it attacked again, it was at full power. That might have been what saved me the first time."

Jack gave a nod as well. "Team Ragnorak was also able to use Old Momentum with their gods. To use this more effectively and apply a similar output of power, we should use as much power as we can! You know what I'm thinking, Yusei?"

Yusei nodded as he pulled a blank card out of his deck case. "We'll use our two sleeping powers! Clear Mind!"

Jack grinned before pulling out his blank frame with a flourish. "And Burning Soul!"

Both men placed their cards on their respective duel disks while Ruka readied Ancient Fairy Dragon.

The cards covered the three in blue red and green auras as the duel disks read the cards with loud beeps.

The shuddering beneath the three intensified as the rainbow light seemed to churn and grow brighter. This time, the rift beneath the three became visible as Ancient Fairy plunged into the maw, the silhouettes of two other dragons following. The portal was a grey speck amidst the sea of lights, but the light parted as the three dragons flew down and revealed it to be a wide chasm.

Yusei and Jack jumped their two steeds of chrome and white as the engines to their D-Wheels roared. Ruka clasped onto the monitor of the Yusei Go as the three made their descent into the light.

The chasm widened and the rainbows disappeared from their plane of vision.

-=(0)=-

There was a flash, and the flames ignited around the geoglaph.

Seto squinted into the deep purple flames and saw the mockery of a heart, a stone contraption absorbing the souls, pulsing to a sickening beat, stone form contracting as purple innards of raw magic were revealed with each beat. The "heart" pulsed once and the spider image on the sand caught fire. Purple flames illuminated the night and a loud hiss could be heard from the center of the image.

Behind him, monster ka flew from the stone slabs in the tower, white streaks that lit up the night as they went to the stone heart in the center of the dark sky. At first he was at a loss for words, but he heard a voice frantically scream in the back of his mind which prompted him to act.

Seto only had enough time to call Duos and Kisara to his side. With a crash, the two appeared dazed and looked worse for the wear. Seto himself slumped. It was difficult to summon multiple monsters, especially when they involved higher summons like Kisara. Luckily she was human this time so the strain was enough for him to bear. Seto looked to his right and saw that Karim and Shada managed to procure Battle Ox and Mystic Horseman. The sight made him glad; they might need the extra boost. The few men in the garrison formed a circle around the priests. They all watched as the remaining souls were absorbed. The flames danced and burned ever brighter. The heart stopped its hypnotic maddening beat and hung in the sky like a false moon. They could only watch and wait.

From within the flames, a huge limb rose. It was the leg of a spider's, long, sharp and thin. The leg was followed by two more until the spider pulled its body from the flaming abyss. It was black with red accents in some demonic fashion. The demon let out a screech and set its many eyes upon the city.

Seto turned to his men. "Don't break the formation! Kisara and I will try to see what it's capable of! "

The woman at his side stared at the towering behemoth and closed her eyes, wondering whether she and Seto would last the night. Such thoughts were pushed aside as she began to glow with a blue aura.

Soon they would clash.

Mahado never saw himself evacuating the city, but there would be a time to study the creature's dark magic composition after the threat had passed. He conjured a rift from the center of the city to the outermost edge, stabilizing the gate as he instructed people through it. It wasn't a permanent solution but for now it was all that he could do.

There were now footsteps in the distance, growing louder against the quiet night. Mahado turned and saw a white flash fly through the sky. Seto's plan would be to keep the creature from the city as long as possible. The plan was sound. If Seto managed to keep the dark god from the city, they might have enough time to evacuate.

Uru glanced down at the settlement ahead of it. The days of actual combat had been like a distant memory, and crushing something without reliance on humans or cards appealed to the creature. The spider shuffled its massive legs towards the city and began its march.

There was a white flash and Uru felt a burning stream of light pierce its body. Four of the spider god's eight eyes sighted a white elongated creature.

_**Dragon.**_

The attack was similar to the accused Signer Dragons', but it was different. The beam felt more refined and stronger. The spider felt both rage and challenge now.

The dragon took to the sky. It had range with its breath weapon to its advantage. Another beam of white lanced out of its mouth, striking one of Uru's legs.

The dragon flew higher and tried to maneuver around for another strike, but halted as Uru was not damaged by the attack.

Within its mind, Uru laughed. The Earthbound Gods could not be felled by raw physical force, and the beams, while powerful did not contain the raw magical power of the Immortals' natural enemies.

The spider pivoted away from the city and looked up. A blast of its webbing shot towards the dragon. The creature dodged and Uru felt that it was distracting him from something. The Spider felt around with its mind and found a single man, standing in the sands.

It was a fool. Amidst a battle of this magnitude, their corpse would be buried beneath bloody sands. Uru righted itself and fired again.

Seto yelped as the webbing raced towards him. He winced not from the fatal attack, but from Kisara's choice. While her form would attempt to intercept the attack, it would also keep her grounded. He raised his diadhank to the skies and called upon another Ka. Duos appeared by his side and flew headfirst into the blast. The winged demon swung its colossal blade and managed to hold off the spider's webbing for the time being. Seto ran while he could, only knowing that Duos had lost when he felt the weight on his soul. While Seto felt recoil from his Ka's destruction, it saved him from the attack. He heard a roar of rage and looked higher into the night sky.

A blue lance of Kisara's breath fell from the sky, striking the spider once again. The creature screeched in annoyance and extended its forelegs to the sky. The dragon growled and flew above the creature's range before diving and flying behind the spider. While the spider took time to turn around, Kisara took the opportunity to fly around once again and dive towards him. Seto readied himself to embrace her hard armor or sharp claws. Instead, she shimmered, and the dragon form bound by webbing faded, strands falling through the air, as she grabbed his hand. Seto felt a jerk from her soft hand as she pulled, and began to glow once again. They were plummeting towards the sand. Seto felt his arm slacken as Kisara's nails stabbed into his back. She started to grow again and Seto felt himself shudder as the pair took off. Now, he was clenched in one of her hands. That transformation had cost them time, and Uru knew it. Seto felt the dragon turn as a blast of web whizzed by them. Like this, they wouldn't last very long. Seto hoped that the priests were all doing their jobs.

The web flew at them again, and Seto tried not to bite his tongue as Kisara flew lower to avoid the spray.

He felt the hand give a slight warmth, and he felt her beginning to charge another attack. At this rate the Burst Stream would have no effect. It was time to change tactics. Seto made sure his Diadhank was still there and summoned as much heka as he possibly could. Kisara flew up to the Spider and flapped her wings as Seto let the heka go.

The giant dragon's wing beat drove the creature back, and repelled the webbing blast away from its target. The spider shrieked and fell back, legs crumpling and body crashing into the sand. Kisara was the next to follow, diving into a landing with three of her limbs while managing to keep Seto in one piece.

Seto turned and stared at the fallen spider in front of them. From Kisara's back it was big, but on the ground it was enormous. Almost as tall as Obelisk itself.

He turned back to the city behind him and wondered if the two of them could even make it back. Then he heard a snapping noise. The spider's giant legs started to move back in place. Seto yelped and fell back as the dark creature began to right itself.

It rose and slowly shuffled towards the two of them. Kisara roared and attempted to strike with her fangs, but struck at only air. The spider's fangs, however, found her flesh. The dragon writhed in the spider's grip as it slowly faded into purple light that flowed into the creature. The last thing that went through his mind before the darkness claimed him was that they'd only bought the city minutes at most.


	6. Chapter Five: Ancient Rivalry!

Kindred Spirits

Koros45 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

Chapter Five: Ancient Rivalry! Combine to Combat the Darkness!

Jack's D-Wheel was the first to exit the rainbow chasm they drove down through. The Wheel of Fortune let out a rumble as it shot through the air. The path was practically straight down, so Jack wondered how they would land since they would run out of physical surface to drive on soon.

The Wheel of Fortune pivoted and Jack growled as his back slammed into the seat. There was a blue sky above him, which was good, and then sand below, but a little too close for comfort.

He found himself yelling behind him.

"Yusei! Starlight Road!"

Then he heard the sound of a trap card quickly being set and activated, and a white beam shot out from the portal about him.

Jack tilted his ride upwards and saw the road form below him. He put his weight forward and did his best to center his landing. The D-Wheel bounced a few times as he was landing, and Jack had to swerve just to regain balance, and then stabilize to avoid falling off the thin road. Jack glanced down at the distant sand and let himself relax. That could have been close.

"Jack, are you alright?" The concerned voice was Yusei's, though Ruka also looked concerned from the monitor.

"I'm fine. You lead, Yusei."

The shooting star nodded and accelerated, making best of the road while it lingered.

"This sand isn't going to be good for our D-wheels. We need to get there quickly. Jack, Ruka; I'm going to try something."

He closed his eyes and visualized his ace card from three years ago. Shooting Star Dragon seemed in reach, although Yusei had never been pushed to use it since he and Jack last clashed. Would it be able to be used since he just opened the rift? He supposed there was one way to find out. Yusei closed his eyes and visualized a single drop of water falling into a pool, causing a ripple effect. He heard a poignant sound as the drop became one with the pool.

It was the first stage. His mind was clear. All doubts, all worries ceased to be as he focused on the feelings he felt when he was one with the wind, one with the speed that riding duels gave him. Although the human mind normally produced thousands of thoughts per second, Yusei found that Clear Mind worked the opposite. An extremely narrow focus was needed just to generate the speed that he needed. He felt the space in front of him begin to warp and he revved up his throttle to let Jack and Ruka know that the jump would be soon.

He felt the rush overtake him and then he was gone.

Jack hit the throttle and felt himself lost in the dimensional wake of Yusei's slip stream. He briefly saw a large pinkish white space all around him, and noticed Shooting Star Dragon floating in a limbo, high above him. Then the space warped again, opening up in front of a large city adorned with obelisks and a large central palace. He saw a pink and blue streak shoot ahead of him and disappear as the space completely solidified.

The Wheel of Fortune fell out of the warp a few feet over the ground and Jack hit the emergency boosters, giving the ride an extra push as he fell towards the sand. The boost worked and Jack hit the sand roughly before leveling out. He glanced around. Where were the others?

The portal behind him let out a hiss before closing, and Jack heard a yelp as Ruka fell towards the ground. Luckily, Regulus was on hand to catch her. The lion spirit made sure she was alright before giving a nod and departing. Jack narrowed his eyes. How was it that he could see Regulus like this? He didn't have spirit vision and found the belief in duel spirits to be a bit extreme, but he was sure that he could see Regulus at that exact moment.

"Ruka, are you alright?"

The girl stood and shook the sand out of her braids. "Fine. While we were in the warp, Ancient Fairy grabbed me off the Yusei-Go. She said that she couldn't interfere with the clear mind itself or she might hurt Yusei, but she wanted me to end up here."

Jack nodded. That meant that Yusei's gambit had only half-worked. The man wasn't anywhere near them, but he was still somewhere in the area. Jack considered sending up a flare to notify him, but saw the palace and stopped. It might be a bad idea. Still, they were sent to help these people.

"Come! My Dread Dragon!"

His dreadlocked dragon appeared with a bow before Jack patted it on the shoulder, surprised at the actual physical presence of his card.

"Search the desert and see if you can find Yusei quickly. If not, come back here. I don't want to have to rely on just Influence Dragon to summon Explode Wing."

The dragon gave a nod before flying away. He turned and found that Ruka had done the same with her Sunny Pixie.

"Hopefully we'll be able to find him that way, but now-"Jack stopped talking. Ruka was shaking and staring off into the distance. He could tell from her expression and body language that she was terrified.

Jack didn't want to turn around, but he did anyways.

The memories all hit him harder than any attack; any loss. He saw and felt Carly's warmth and heard her declaration of love as she faded, her warmth turning to ash and her presence turning to dust. He saw Godwin's demonic smirk and felt the King of the Underworld's flame scorch his flesh. The nightmares from four years ago turned and seemed to pierce his soul. After all, one of them was standing right in front of them.

_**Uru. **_

The spider god paused and seemed to asses them before turning to the palace. Ruka gave a yelp and yelled something to Jack as the spider raised a leg. The former King dove into a nearby sand dune to avoid being crushed by one of its legs. It seemed to take a long time for the spider to move over them, but that was probably just because Jack didn't want to be crushed. Finally the spider passed and began shuffling off towards the palace. Jack looked up to see if Ruka was alright before standing.

He was trying to come to grips with the concept that the Immortals had returned, but his brain wouldn't listen to him. Jack couldn't look at the spider for very long. He turned and saw the giant holes its spear legs had prodded in the sand. There were also long gauges in the sand, like something had fallen from the sky, but had been able to recover from the fall and level out.

He felt a hand poke him through the fabric of his coat. It was Ruka.

"Jack, you should go that way. I'm picking up a strong duel spirit that way. They're hurt and you can carry them."

He blinked. "And I suppose you'll be fine just fighting off that monster on your own?"

Ruka huffed and glared at him. "Jack, unlike you I can strategize with Ancient Fairy. We'll give Uru a rematch. Please return as soon as you can. I feel like Uru's not the only thing we need to worry about here."

Then she walked in the same direction that the spider went in. Jack tried to say something for the teen to stop and come back, but thinking about it, Ruka had a point. Of the three, she was the least tired, as calling the powers that they could easily use when they were signers wasn't easy for both men. Ancient Fairy also had a grudge with Uru, and given its effect it was more suitable to fighting the Immortals than Red Demons would be. Jack began to follow the tracks.

What he found ahead of him wasn't a big monster but two people. A man and a woman. They had collapsed in the sand and looked tired. Luckily Jack had rations. He sprinted back to the Wheel of Fortune and brought them his canteen. A few drops of water had the woman sitting up slowly. Jack turned to the man and found that he was still out of it.

The woman looked out of place in the desert. Her skin was white as a sheet and she was so frail that Jack thought she was a ghost. The intensity of her blue eyes was also something he found fascinating. They looked almost non-human. She spoke the man's name in a hushed tone.

"Seto."

Jack wondered if they spoke the same language but decided to give it a try either way.

"I'm going to carry him. Is he injured?"

She looked up at him, surprised at both his light skin and direct manner.

"He passed out from the impact of the fall. He should be alright. Just – he needs to rest once we beat that monster."

She pointed to the city and Jack tried not to think about the idea of taking two injured people to an area under siege by an Earthbound Immortal. It was a stupid plan, but it was all he could think of at the moment. At the very least they could rest while he fought. It also might be where Yusei was, and reclaiming the city under siege was a priority.

Jack hoisted the man over his shoulder and staggered from the weight of the man's armor. He offered the woman his free arm, but she followed behind him.

"I will make sure we return to the city safely."

He could feel her gaze in the back of his head and felt like he was being hunted. Jack got to the D-Wheel and put the man in the main seat. He could take two trips, or he could have another monster carry someone. He was about to summon Vice Dragon, but the woman cut him off.

"Don't waste your heka with minor ka! Save it for that monster." She stated it before taking a breath. Her legs were trembling and she was struggling just to stand. Jack sighed and told the woman to wait before he tossed her his water. He turned the D Wheel around and drove through the sand as effectively as he could. The Wheel of Fortune was meant for one person so it was a bit difficult, but he was able to make progress.

He heard a great cry ahead of him and then a hiss to find Ancient Fairy Dragon squaring off against Uru a second time. Luckily for him he could use that time to weave through the spider's legs and get back to the city's main gates. The spider tried to impale Ancient Fairy's wing membrane with its front legs, but it was having a hard time moving towards the radiant light that the dragon produced. Jack shoved him foot down on the exhaust as far as he could and made sure that his passenger wouldn't fall off the bike. Then he prayed neither combatant moved as his bike shot forwards.

It was a rematch but the grudge she felt from her friend made her nauseous as if the dragon only had been egging her on with her speeches of peace only to turn into an angry beast when confronted with her rival.

It reminded her that Ancient Fairy was indeed an animal and not something else. The spider was silent as usual and Ruka found herself wished her board worked in the sand. There was no way to gain traction there.

Despite the spider's advantage in size and reach it couldn't touch Fairy. The light seemed to make it stay away and attack in a single moment before backing away. For now they were at a stalemate.

That was good, Ruka figured. She heard the roar of an engine and heard it come closer. It was Jack again. Good. She waited for him to drive past before giving Ancient Fairy her orders.

Time to bring the pain.

Atem couldn't believe it. He'd left the palace and watched the battle commence between Blue-Eyes and the spider god. He was ready to deploy himself after Blue-Eyes fell when another dragon appeared. It was blue, with gold trim and had a slender, regal appearance akin to Yusei's Stardust Dragon. The dragon's cry caused the spider to stop dead in its tracks, and Atem hoped, feel fear as it turned to face this new opponent. The new dragon's radiance lit up the night and seemed to keep the spider at bay. He was going to send someone to retrieve Seto when he heard a roar of an engine.

It had been a long time since Atem had seen Honda's old motorcycle, but this thing he saw before him was quite something. It had one large wheel that the rider was inside of rather than the standard two and was such a shade of white that he couldn't help but think of Kaiba as the machine approached. His hunch was furthered when the bike stopped. A tall man dismounted carrying – hilariously if not for the circumstances- the comatose body of Seto. Atem ran to his High Priest as the man tossed Seto to the string of guards that rushed at him and Atem caught a glance of a long white coat and a sleek, unique looking duel disk. The man turned and drove away towards the battle in the blink of an eye.

The man was like Kaiba alright. He recalled Yusei's stories and wondered if this man really was the person Yusei had described as a friend.

Atem turned to Shada, who was looking at the battle as though he'd seen it before. The man's lips were moving, murmuring "Ancient Fairy" as the dragon let out a roar.

The other priests had their own problems and Atem gave Shada a shake by the shoulders.

"Pharaoh!"

"Shada! I'm going after that man! All I ask is that you hold the line until I return! You understand?"

Shada shook his head and composed himself before nodding. "Yes my Pharaoh!"

Luckily for Atem, the giant spider had not targeted the stable. He had a steed within minutes and knew that no matter how far advanced technology had progressed, a horse's hooves would fare far better in sand than an automated wheel; at least one designed for short range travel.

It took him a while, but the man was in his sights before he knew it.

Atem gestured with his free hand not holding the reigns and Mahado appeared at his side. Luckily he too was able to summon his master magician when he felt the creature feast upon the soul tower.

"Mahado! Get his attention!"

He heard the magician try to communicate with the rider and Atem growled as the man simply sped up. He hadn't expected that the single wheel could travel any faster through the sand.

"Can you cut him off?"

Mahado glanced upward at the spider and shook his head. "I think we have bigger problems."

The man was crazy. He was driving right towards the battle between the two giants. Atem found his steed to be skittish and prodded it onwards as best he could.

The blue dragon wailed and a beam of light shot from its maw, striking the spider's head. The arachnid shrieked and backed away. Atem yelped as one of its leg slammed into the sand between him and the other man. It scared Atem's horse even more and the creature tried it's best to buck Atem off its back as it ran away from the giant limb. Luckily, Mahado whispered something and the horse suddenly was calm again. It was just in time too. The spider was moving, each leg a massive spire ready to crush anything in its way. Atem decided to turn back when he looked and saw someone else standing right in front of the spider. It looked like a teenage girl.

The spider moved again, now looking down at him. Atem flinched as he felt the creature's ancient gaze on him. He felt something dark pass over his soul and staggered. It wasn't a direct assault like the Great Leviathan back when he fought Dartz, but it was a subtle glance that seemed to dismiss him as an eyesore. The spider hissed and shot a thick blast of silk from its mouth.

Atem only had to think of Mirror Force and the webbing stopped feet from hitting him. Since this was an elder god, he wasn't surprised that the attack didn't reflect completely. He felt an impact as though he'd been punched in the brain as the attack rammed into the barrier. Atem noticed the barrier was holding, but it put quite the drain on both himself and Mahado just to keep it up.

The blocked thread fell to the ground and the spider simply scuttled forwards, trying to crush Atem with its legs. After maintaining the Mirror Force it was hard to even move. Something rammed into the spider and aside from a blue tail and rainbow wings, Atem couldn't make the dragon out. He used the distraction to back away, making sure that Mahado and the horse were with him.

"Are you all alright!?" The girl ran to them while keeping an eye on the fight ahead of them.

Atem nodded.

He turned and saw that the spider now had the advantage, pinning the dragon down with its forelegs and trying to snap at it with its mandibles.

Atem knew that she was worried for the dragon. Her hands were trembling as she watched the dragon trade a blast of webbing for a ray of light.

He glanced up at the spider. It was big, but there should be an easy way to at least stall for more time. Mahado leapt into the skies and floated above them, summoning a shower of knives to strike the spider. The magical blades merely bounced off the monster's hide.

"The immortals can't be directly targeted. They draw their power from the land around them. The field magic is what gives them their strength. With all the sand, it's difficult to even begin to attack them." She spoke, logically despite the current situation.

"You have experience fighting these?"

"I fought one before. It wasn't easy. Even stalling them's difficult."

Atem could see why. Seto and Kisara proved that much.

"Ancient Fairy!"

The dragon ahead roared and the sand beneath the Spider's legs began to whirl and shift as the area around the Spider started to fade, turning into a thin narrow chasm. The Spider spread its legs to stay above the vortex, but the widening chasm became too large for it to stand between. It let out a shriek as it fell in the chasm. He noticed the blue dragon make a rough landing in the sand. The chasm shrank and returned to normal. Since it was sand, it would be harder for the dragon to move it away, even if it was its special ability.

Then he gulped as he saw one of the monster's forelegs phase through the sand. The girl frowned as the creature pulled itself out of her trap.

"That worked in my duel, but that was because we destroyed the field spell. In this case it draws its power from the land around it. I'm not sure what other tactics we can employ at this point."

Suddenly something in his mind clicked.

He shook his head and imagined that he was in a duel with the monster. The girl and he shared the same field and he controlled the Dark Magician while she the blue and gold dragon. The Spider appeared to shrug off smaller attacks such as Thousand Knives, and even something like Mirror Force couldn't completely stop it. They could attack the land around it, but they'd need time. It was like fighting Osiris or Obelisk all over again.

Atem smirked.

Five bright swords fell from the sky, stabbing into the Spider's abdomen and thorax. It hissed and screeched as the blades held it still.

The girl closed her eyes. "Swords of Revealing Light? That should give us some time. The Spider would be free of the swords soon and could attack them before too long.

"Can we attack it safely?" The Pharaoh asked.

"Yes, but you'll have to keep it pinned down."

Atem thought of using Buster Blader before he remembered it had been eaten. He cursed the spider for absorbing the Ka of the palace. Then he had an idea.

"You can see these monsters normally, yes? Can you talk to the spirits that it absorbed?"

The girl looked at Atem like he was crazy. "I can talk to them, but your spirits? I could probably but I don't know if it'll achieve anything. How could I talk to them when they're in that thing?"

Atem grinned. "That Spider god may have bitten off more than it could chew."

Atem took off his puzzle and put it around the girl's neck.

"This will act as a conduit between the Spider and those spirits it absorbed. The Puzzle allows you to put the souls of those Ka back where they belong."

"So you're saying that it'll pull them back?"

"In theory. I was thinking of pulling Curse of Dragon out of that thing. Burning Land might buy us some more time."

The girl looked at the spider and back down at the puzzle. "Burning Land. Hmm."

She pulled out a card. The area around them changed from a sandy desert to a tranquil forest. The dusky sky made the newly formed trees cast shadows all around them. It was off-putting for the Pharaoh.

"Another field spell. That's it. I can't believe we didn't think of that before." she stated.

Atem looked back at the spider. It had been resisting the swords, but it seemed to be flustered by the change of scenery. It looked around for them, and turned, confused as the forest answered in silence.

He looked at the girl. She was shaking. The field spell must take loads of focus to use in such an area, he thought, especially in an area replicating their effects. Mahado placed a hand on the girl's forehead and focused. His armor faded and was replaced by his tan and golden palace regalia. "My power is yours." Atem focused his power through Mahado and he found himself kneeling in the undergrowth.

Uru raged and shook off the pricks of light jabbing all over its body. The blades shattered and it was dark again. Yet the ground was different. Unnatural. It made the spider nauseous. It was the girl, trying to be a Signer when they were no more. There was no more cycle. The Crimson Dragon was gone. Individually her dragon would fall once again. And Uru would remain.

The spider suddenly felt a shift in the area and knew where she was. Hiding in a forest. Not a Signer. A weak coward. Uru raised a foreleg. He knew she was close. The leg fell with a terrible shudder and suddenly the space warped. Uru felt the land around him change. It felt like the very land itself was assaulting him.

Ruka felt quite self-accomplished. Ancient Forest was doing its job quite nicely. She closed her eyes and thought of Torunka. The mage reminded her of the old man. Then he heard a familiar sound and something fuzzy brushed against her face. Kurribon? She felt the fuzz ball but found no tail.

No. This was a Kuriboh. She looked around her and found others around her, watching her from a distance in a dark shroud. Some were knights, some demons. She saw what looked like elf-folk and wondered how that man had so many friends and of such a variety and in stone tablets of all things. Then she froze. There were three that the spider couldn't digest. Something clicked in her head and she looked down at the puzzle the man had placed in her hands. It was glowing.

Ruka closed her eyes extended her hand out. She felt the others there clasp it one by one and pass through into the puzzle. It was as if they were walking through her. She felt warmth from the elf-folk and urgency from the knights, humor from the demons, and an otherworldly calm from the dragons. Then there was the three. The closest she could compare them to were Ancient Fairy or the Nordic Gods and even then these were different. They didn't even pass through the puzzle. They simply were.

Ruka felt their presence and looked down at the pendant around her neck. It was still glowing like a lamp.

The Spider's body contorted as multiple rays of purple pierced through its body, all passing through the puzzle and then heading back towards the city. It staggered and shrieked in rage and pain, but continued to ravage the area around the two with each step.

Its legs knocked over some trees and Atem yelled as a stray limb smacked into him. Not good. It knew where they were. The Spider's eyes locked in on them, now it was an overpowering presence like the Leviathan. It was death.

Death screamed as a giant blue fist emerged from its body. The bulky arm flailed around before changing into a beam of blue light that shot towards the palace. It was followed by a red beam and a gold beam, each one tearing right through one of the Spider's legs.

Ruka grimaced and invoked Ancient Fairy once more. The Ancient Forest faded away and the tree pinning Atem down vanished. The Spider kept its footing even when the dragon body slammed it again. It was desperate and driven now completely by its desire to kill the former Signer.

All the time Atem needed. He raised his Diadhank and roared as three of the spirits flowed into him.

"I call upon thee! My servants!"

"Summoned Skull!"

A muscular being with a purple hide covered in white bones appeared, crossing its arms in anger at the being that had consumed it.

"Curse of Dragon!"

A thin yellow dragon made of bone spun in an upward spiral, roaring and flapping its wings.

"Buster Blader!"

A man in bulky armor carrying a huge single bladed sword leapt out of the Diadhank, raising the sword to the heavens as it roared out a challenge to the Spider.

He then turned to the girl. "We need to get off of the ground!"

"Summoned Skull, Summon Lightning!"

The skull demon roared and raised its giant clawed hands to the night sky as thunder shot down, striking the spider for a moment. The creature swayed but wouldn't be stopped by such an attack. It tuned to find its prey again when it realized that they were retreating of the back of the girl's lion familiar. POV

Then the bone dragon swooped down, covering the ground in a swath of flame. The fire around its limbs cut off Uru's connection to the land briefly and the Spider staggered as the swordsman made a clean cut into one of its limbs. Then it felt the land again and fired a blast of webbing at the man, but its aim was off as the lighting struck again. Another swath of flame and now the Signer Dragon joined in, bombarding it with rays of sunlight. Uru let out a shriek in pain as the two dragons deprived it of the land it relied on.

Yusei's head rang like he'd been hit with a lead pipe. His hands ached and he spread his fingers through the ever-present sand to make sure it was still there beneath his gloves. It was hot and he'd been out in the heat for too long. Yusei managed to stand and staggered towards the Yusei-Go.

His eyes could be seeing a hallucination, but he was sure he could see someone leaning against his bike. They had a spikey mane of white-blond hair, a purple cloak, and the grin of a jackal.

The man looked at him, but Yusei saw that his eyes looked devoid of any sort of emotion, like a murky purple cloud.

The other man's grin widened as he saw Yusei get closer to the bike. He spoke in a low growl akin to a predator as he addressed the other man.

"You're a duelist, aren't you?"

Yusei was about to say something, but the man's hand had fanned out Yusei's cards and waved them to him.

Yusei righted himself in a poised stance and locked eyes with the man.

"Return those cards."

The man continued with his sickening grin as he loaded the deck into Yusei's duel disk and threw it at Yusei. The Satellite native managed to catch it. He planted both feet on the ground and looked back up. The other man had leapt off the D-wheel and was now trying to circle him. His gaze was still murky.

"You do realize what I seek, yes?"

Yusei knew that now, the man was speaking mostly to amuse himself. He cast aside all doubt he initially had. This man was an enemy.

"Why should I accept this duel?"

The other man stopped smirking and just looked pissed off.

"Because if you don't, I'll get rid of these."

He held up his other hand and spread Yusei's extra deck out so that he could see his fourteen special cards all in the man's hands. Yusei knew that the man was toying with him, but he also knew that his deck wouldn't work without those cards. Defeated, Yusei activated his duel disk.

"Then I'll accept this duel!"

The man's smirk returned. He gripped his purple cloak and threw it back, revealing an older model Kaiba Corp Duel Disk on his arm.

"Humor me!"

He tossed the extra cards to Yusei and laughed as he caught each one.

They both draw their hands and the duel began.

I feel that I owe you all an apology for my lack of updates over the last two years. A combination of getting used to college and working a job is part of it. The rest is personal stuff that made me really question whether my own writing was good enough. Regardless I am dedicated to finishing this story in the future. Your feedback and continued support has been appreciated. Thanks for sticking around. – Koros45


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